Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said “To love someone means to see him as God intended him.” But how often should you say those three little words?
The dating site Elite Singles conducted a survey of 12,654 members about love. The basis for the research was to find out how people from different countries expressed their love.
What they found is that the British need to hear those magical three words less than those from other English-speaking countries such as America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland. Americans, however, are the most outspoken with regard to their feelings, with 73% expecting to hear their partner say ‘I love you’ on a daily basis.
The Dutch are quite the other end of the spectrum, with a mere 10% wanting to hear the same expression of adoration, and us Brits aren’t far off – only 23% of them wish to be told we’re loved on a daily basis.
Guess that’s why the Brits have that reputation of having a stiff upper lip. Despite their reluctance to verbalize their feelings, though, 51% of those from Britain said they would rather have a romantic gesture, such as being given flowers or candy.
Despite the cultural differences, psychologist Salama Marine gave advice related to the study on how often is best to express our love: “Saying ‘I love you’ is more efficient than any other phrase to show attachment and commitment. But saying it every day can seem a bit excessive. The heavy meaning of the three words may be lost over time, that’s why it is best to be reasonable and save it for special moments.”
So how often should you say I love you? That’s really up to you but what does matter is, you should always make sure that those you do care about know exactly how you feel. No, that doesn’t mean you have to say it every day, just as long as they know you care.
