Social Question

Xann009's avatar

Do you find it really awkward when someone you don't know very well says they love you?

Asked by Xann009 (876points) December 17th, 2009

There’s a few people I am friends with but am not incredibly close to, and occasionally they will reply to something I’ve said with “Oh, I love you.” I find it flattering, but I don’t really know what to say to that. I find it really awkward. Am I alone here?

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26 Answers

randomness's avatar

Ohhhh yes, I find it very awkward…. There’s nothing worse than when a person you hardly know confesses their undying love for you. There’s no way to respond without making things more awkward….

pjanaway's avatar

Just reply “I love me too”.

chyna's avatar

How about saying “ditto” back at them?

Tom47's avatar

Well, that hasn’t happened since I was a teenager, but it was uncomfortable then.

ucme's avatar

They could of course mean a generic term of love. We sometimes professs love for certain foods or material posessions. Something which we can’t possibly love in the literal sense.Maybe some people take things too seriously. On the other hand if a person is sincere in this affirmation then yeah that would be uncomfortable for both parties

absalom's avatar

Usually they don’t actually love you (or maybe they do, but in the way a friend loves a friend). It’s just an expression of fondness. It can be uncomfortable though. I often just smile “warmly” back at them, whatever that means.

gradyjones's avatar

I find it ackward too. Whereas I think that the phrase“I love you” is the expression of a deep feeling, I think that others use that phrase more loosely. I translate their meaning to be “I really like you” or “You rock”.

Xann009's avatar

That’s pretty close to how I see it, gradyjones. I just don’t, in my mind, see the term as being used so lightly.

Haleth's avatar

Yeah, that’s pretty awkward. I would make the moment even more awkward in a really conspicuous way, and then they’ll never want to say it again. Look deep into the person’s eyes for an uncomfortably long time and say, “Really? God, I can’t believe this is happening. I love you, too. I sit outside your window every night and hide in your closet sometimes. Marry me?” Or something like that. I guarantee they won’t tell you they love you anymore.

PandoraBoxx's avatar

I would say “What do you mean by that?”

This is one of my pet peeves. Parents should really teach children how to correctly identify their emotions at a young age so they can use the correct word choice as adults. The main categories like “love” and “angry” get misused in adulthood and cause misunderstandings. How much less awkward to say “I enjoy your company” or “I’m happy when I’m with you” or “I think you’re hot and want to sleep with you.” Likewise, “angry” is often a wide array of more precise word choices, ranging from irritated, put out, grouchy, tired and hungry to actually angry.

“Then you should say what you mean,” the March Hare went on.

“I do,” Alice hastily replied, “at least- at least I mean what I say- that’s the same thing, you know.”

“Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter. “You might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!”

live_rose's avatar

a lot of my friends say “I love you” . . .I obviously reply with I love you too . But I wouldn’t reverse roles I’d never go around saying it, it just seems silly to me. I find it more stupid than awkward, sure i love my friends at one level or another but I also love energy drinks I don’t press my face against the display case and say I love you. I think it’s just a cutesy compliment and I’m not personally a big fan. But to each their own I guess.

_Jade_'s avatar

I would find it extremely awkward. I don’t throw the word “love” (in relation to a person) around, it has more meaning to me than that. People who say “I love you” constantly make me a little uncomfortable. It seems to lose some of it’s meaning when used in an“off handed” manner and often makes a person feel obligated to reply in kind.

Xann009's avatar

@Jade I totally agree.

SirGoofy's avatar

Nah. I love you, too.

Xann009's avatar

@SirGoofy lol, it’s nice when I can tell it’s a joke. But when I can’t, not so much…

Response moderated
Cupcake's avatar

I wouldn’t say “I love you” back if their comment made me uncomfortable.

I’d say “awwww… you’re so sweet!!”

mellow_girl's avatar

not really awkward, but i always think that that person is soooo fake because they don’t even know me.

Xann009's avatar

@mellow_girl hmm, good answer…

Zen_Again's avatar

It all depends on how they say it. Personally, saving the “I love you’s” for three months is over-rated. We don’t say it enough, we don’t share love enough. What’s the big deal? We talk about love at first sight – so why not say it? Yes, it might scare away a person – but that’s societal stigmas talking. Again, it depensd on how it’s said. “You know, it hasn’t been long, and you don’t have to feel the same way as I do – but I’m the kind of person who loves to love and blurt it out. You make me want to run through the fields and shout out I love you – that’s just the way I feel.

Jude's avatar

I usually only get that when I’m out with someone and they’re drunk. It’s more like, ‘I la-lu, man” and then they proceed to give me a drunken one armed hug (pretty much holding themselves up that way). But, yes, if someone was not inebriated, and said that, that would be awkward. I would just smile (the situation will still be awkward, though).

barbiedoll's avatar

Yes, I’ve had this often where men like me more than I had considered at the time. It sure wakes me up where I might want the relationship to go.

Shemarq's avatar

Depends on how much I’ve had to drink. LOL!!!

stranger_in_a_strange_land's avatar

I would assume that it’s some kind of setup for a practical joke and get the hell out of there.

SABOTEUR's avatar

Yeah, I’m with you there.

The same applies with hugs.
Everyone seems to be into hugging these days.

Guess I’ve never been demonstrative that way.

But if there’s a pretty girl involved, well…

Xann009's avatar

@SABOTEUR I’m the same way. Hugs have always felt awkward for me (not with family, of course). I’ve just never really been a touchy feely person. When someone touches me when I’m not expecting it, I flinch.

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