I LOVE YOU vs. I NEED YOU

here are some definitions of "LOVE":

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection

3. sexual passion or desire.

4. sexual intercourse.

and here are some definitions of "NEED":

1. a requirement, necessary duty or obligation.

2. a lack of something wanted or deemed necessary.

3. urgent want.

4. to be necessary.

(all definitions taken from dictionary.com)

this topic was bought up in one of my classes that to need someone is stronger than simply loving them. the girl explained that when you love someone it is just a feeling that can pass...but needing someone is to not be able to live without them.

hearing that made me think and it certainly made sense to me.

i have told a number of people i used to date that i loved them...and i meant it because i did hold a certain amount of love for them in my heart. i didnt need any of them though...or else they would still be here.

at the same time, i tell my family members everyday that i love them...i also feel that i need them too though. idk what i would do without these people in my life.

have you ever had anyone else besides your family in your life that you need? i'm not sure that i do. :-\

i slipped up in my last relationship before this one that just ended and told my ex that i needed him. at times it felt that way because we were living together and doing everything together. when we broke up i cried day in and day out, thinking my life was over and that i couldnt go on another day (funny how i said that each passing day tho lol)

now that he is gone...well, i still breathe and have all my senses, i'm still walking and talking the same (perhaps with a slightly improved maturity) but everything is the same. i didnt need him, i lived without him after we broke up. didnt even keep him as a friend.

the relationship i just got out of...omg, i love this man to death...i damn sure do! he has changed my life for the better, even with the drama we had involved with us. i feel like i need him in my life, even as just a friend. everytime we try to go our seperate ways...SOMETHING brings us right right back. even if its a long amount of time, by some devine power or connection, this man and i cannot stay apart.

i cant sit and say that i would die without him, because no one would die just because someone isnt in there life anymore (unless you're like a siamese twin or something). i can say though, that if we did get to a point where we didnt speak again...i think i would feel a void or an emptiness inside me for a very long time, if not forever.

on the flip side tho, i've heard of older couples that, when one dies, the other one isnt too far behind because they just couldnt bear to live without their mate, like life just wasnt worth it without them. i want that type of love...i want to experience that and in some ways...if i was older and in this same situation, it might be that way.

there are also cases where people have someone in their life soo long, that they feel like they cant live without them...but do they really know that? if it hasnt EVER been tested and they've never been apart...well, how would they know?

if i was with someone who i grew to love, fell in love with and wanted to marry...i think that is the point of me needing someone. when i feel as though i want to spend the rest of my days on this earth with a specific person, then and only then will i consider the notion that i NEED someone in my life.

people NEED water, oxygen, food, and good health to live. some survive without having any family even so idk. its a very touchy topic because if you tell someone you dont need them in your life, they get offended...when in all actuality, they probably dont need you in theirs either!

i feel like everyone has felt this way at one point...but did it hold true? did you die without that person in your life? or did you just hurt for a while? do you have someone in your life now that you feel you couldn't love without? if so, why do you feel that way?

IS IT POSSIBLE TO SAY YOU LOVE/ARE IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE IF YOU DONT NEED THEM???