Is love only possible in person?

I don't think it HAS to be in person...but I think for you to seal the deal obviously you need to see what is it like it in person.

Writing is not the same as dealing with someone face to face.

I remember I read that we probably tried to keep texting as a way of communication, because there is something more....romantic and exciting when you talk to someone in writing...you are able to express your self more without being conscious of too many things that happen in personal communication...body language...tone....image..etc...you are able to be more playfull too.

You are able to express yourself more liberally and strategically.....I remember I even read that relationships used to last more...because too many couples at the time were separated by things like war...and whatever it maybe that made the chance to communicate rare..thus more difficult to take it for granted...

So...I think in our age we are expected that love means personal eventually right...so...yes it can build up to 'love'...but...maybe it won't when in person..and maybe it will!

Wish you the best!.

 

Infatuation can feel just like love. The difference is love will last longer than six months. Love will see you through arguments. Love will stay through disfiguring illness. Love can get you through infidelity. Plus there are different kinds of love. I think it's possible but that it's good to proceed with caution. There are a lot of pretenders out there.

 

I'm sure it is possible, but it could also be falsely placed. There have been many a time where people have been tricked into meeting someone who wasn't who they say they were and in more serious cases kidnapped, raped, murdered, etc etc. I don't know if you know your friend is who he says he is, but if he isn't I'd ask him to take a specific photo or skype call you or something.

 

everyone acts differently when you're not in person, even if it is unintentional, so i think that in general you have to have met them.

 

I already skyped with my ex so I know she is real. The only way time, I would act different is becoming very nervous. I show my real emotions and thoughts through typing/writing.....but when i'm in person....if i met her face to face, I would probably be really nervous but once i became comfortable, I would be myself

 

There is something to be said about attraction though, like body chemistry and the way someone moves or their facial expressions that are not translated well through talking online.

That being said, some of that can be alleviated via video chat, but I still think it's a far cry from actually being with someone.

I'm not saying it will never work, I'm just saying that it's probably best to meet if you are getting that close to someone via the internet to really see how it works for you. The attraction may not translate well into real life.

And you don't get to know the person's habits or eat with them, go anywhere with them or meet their friends or really do anything you can't do online. Again, not a deal breaker, but sure puts a damper on the kind of important 'doing things together' bit of falling in love/relationships.

 

I believe you can start the process of falling in love without meeting in person, but I don't think it's really been confirmed (such as it is) until you meet in person. Until then, it's simply a potential.

...this is from somebody who met his partner online, by the way.

Lex

 

It seems to me that there are two distinct mechanism to falling in love.

One starts with physical attraction to the person, and this encourages you to get to know them and form an emotional bond with them. This would obviously require that you know what they look like.

The second starts with an emotional bond, and this emotional bond generates a physical attraction. Many people can form emotional bonds with people online, so this route could work either online or in person.

Incidentally, I suspect most people are capable of both routes. Demisexuals are only capable of the second route, and there are probably some that are only capable of the first route, but we don't have a label for them.

Lastly, it seems to me that regardless of the route you take, the end result is similar.

 

It depends how you understand love!

If love must have a component that gives you some benefit (sexual, emotional, whatever) then probably you need to meet in person, however, if you consider love to be an active, rather than passive, verb, you can love someone by knowing who they are and what they mean to you. For example, if my daughter were to tell me about her fiancé whom I have never met, I could potentially love that person without meeting him, because he loves my daughter and because I believe that love is something you do (in this case, for her sake), not as a reaction to something he is.

 

I think it's possible to fall in love online

 

My girlfriend and I live far apart but we video call often and stuff, we know what we're like face to face and we were gonna have a Skype date this weekend but she broke her laptop so now it's difficult to speak. We also text and all that, we do speak to each other when possible

I'm not sure if I love her yet, but she's told her parents (when she came out to them about being bi) that she's in love with me. We've been best friends for months, so I at least love her in that way. It'll obviously be better when we meet, but for now I believe I'm falling for her.

 

As someone who has fallen in love both ways (online and in person), I can tell you that they are both very possible. Online love does not diminish your capacity to care for someone, love their personality, or anything else about them.

To me the difference exists in the ability to make this type of love last/work in the real world. Online relationships are impossible to keep going in my opinion (and for me anyways). I need to feel physically close to someone. Not just sex, but to be held and cuddled when I'm upset and you just cannot develop that type of personal intimacy online.

The absence of that aspect won't stop me from loving someone, but it will limit my ability to feel close to them in situations where I need to feel the love more so I don't think they will have as much potential for longevity as real life love.