Gauge if the person is happy to be around you. This should be true even during a bad day. If your loved one has had a very bad day but lights up when s/he sees you, then that’s a sign of love. If s/he is in love with you, then the sight of you or the sound of your voice is guaranteed to make him or her feel better — if only a little bit.

• The next time s/he is grumpy or has a bad day, see how s/he reacts in your presence.

Notice if the person gives you googly eyes. Though this may be silly, check out your loved one’s face the next time you see him or her. Does s/he look at you in a goofy, watery, silly and adorable way that can only be described as “googly-eyed”? You will know it when you see it. You won’t get this look all the time — you can spot it in the morning, or randomly across the dinner table.

• You may also be able to catch the person staring at you with the same expression.

See if the person is giddy around you. Love makes people feel giddy, weightless, and like laughing for no reason at all. If you see the person acting this way in your presence, then this may be love. Does your loved one seem hyper, excited, and on the verge of laughing for almost no reason at all whenever s/he is around you? If so, then this may be love.

• If you’ve said something barely funny and the person cracks up, then s/he may be lovesick.
• If the person shows nervous energy or fidgets around a lot around you, then s/he may just be excited by your presence.

Notice if the person talks positively about your future together. If the person really loves you, then the idea of you being in his or her future is an absolute given, not something that he or she would ever have anxiety or uncertainty about. If the person routinely talks about what you’re going to do in the future, about what your lives will look like one, two, or even ten years in the future together, then s/he is probably in love with you.

• True commitment means seeing a forever with another person. If the person talks about the future and always includes you in it, then there is a good chance s/he truly loves you.
• If the person talks about what your kids will look like, where you will retire together, or where you will go for your honeymoon, then s/he may really love you.

See if the person gives you meaningful compliments. There’s a difference between saying, “I like your new haircut” and “You have the ability to make me feel better no matter what.” If the person gives you compliments that show that s/he really appreciates the important aspects of your character and personality, then there’s a good chance s/he really loves you.

• Your loved one doesn’t have to shower you with compliments all the time — it’s the quality, not the quantity, that makes a difference.

Determine if the person means every “I love you.“ Remember that there is a big difference between “Love ya!” and “I love you.” If your special someone really loves you and tells you this much while looking into your eyes, sounding earnest, and not wanting anything from you, then it’s likely that s/he really means it.

• If the person undeniably loves you, then s/he will say it for no reason at all, not just because s/he needs a favor or because it feels like the right thing to say.

See if the person really opens up to you. If your loved one really loves you, then they will really open up to you and tell you what they are thinking, feeling, fearing, and longing for. If the person really opens up about their childhood, greatest regrets, most painful moments, or most romantic dreams for the future, then it’s likely that they like you because the person is so comfortable telling you about almost everything.

• If the person tells you, “I’ve never told anyone this before…” then there’s a good chance that s/he really loves and trusts you.

Expect to be missed when apart. If you and your loved one are apart, but s/he still texts you, calls you, or emails you to let you know how much s/he misses you, then it means s/he can’t imagine his or her life without you. If you go on a three-week vacation and don’t hear a word from him or her, then it may not be love.

• S/he doesn’t have to call you constantly to let you know if she/he misses you.

Hope to have your mistakes corrected. If that person truly loves you, then s/he doesn’t have an idealized picture of you in his or her mind. If it’s truly love, then that person will be comfortable with telling you when you’ve made a mistake, said something illogical, or acted badly. Though the person shouldn’t criticize you all the time, giving you a healthy amount of criticism just means that the person really knows you in and out and accepts your mistakes as well as your best qualities.

• If the person never argues with you or never criticizes you, then you should be on the look out. Make sure that the person truly loves you instead of an ideal version of who you are.

Hope to be listened to. If the person really loves you, then s/he’ll not only open up to you, but s/he’ll also listen to anything you have to say — even if s/he’s heard it all before. Though s/he won’t be your lapdog, s/he will be around to hear your thoughts. S/he will nod and respond thoughtfully and not interrupt instead of switching the subject to something s/he wants to talk about.

• Part of being in love is just being able to listen. It’s not all about being able to talk.

See if the person is always there for you. This includes those times when it’s inconvenient. Sure, if you want to grab a drink or a tasty meal, the person is always around, but what about when you need a ride from the airport or you need someone to walk your dog while you’re sick? If the person truly loves you, then s/he’ll be there for you during the fun times as well as the not-so-fun times.

• If the person is only around when you’re happy, lighthearted, or in a good mood, but flees the scene as soon as you are sad or cranky, then that is not love.
• Love is about being there for a person, no matter what. Truly loving a person means accepting all the positive and negative qualities of that person, and being around during the good times and the bad.

Consider the nice things done for you. If the person truly loves you, then s/he’ll do thoughtful things like put gas in your car when you’re busy, do your food shopping for you, or bring you chicken soup when you’re home sick. These favors don’t have to be constant or over-the-top, but if the person truly loves you, then s/he’ll want to do things to make you smile and to make your life easier.

• True love isn’t just about what you can take from the person, but what you can give as well.
• If the person really loves you, then s/he will do nice things for you without you having to ask. It should be implied that you need a favor or help sometimes. If you have to ask for something nice every time, then that may not be true love.

See if the person always wants to be around you. Part of being in love is always wanting to be around the person you love, even if it’s impractical. If the person truly loves you, then he or she will want to be around you — a lot. This doesn’t mean the person will want to be attached at the hip, but it does mean that the person will try to take as many opportunities as possible to see you.

Let them give you space. If the person truly loves you, then s/he’ll not only want to be around you a lot, but s/he will also know when to give you space and let you do your own thing. If the person wants to be around you all the time, then that’s not love — it’s infatuation. As love matures, two people will realize that they still need to do things separate to maintain their own identities.

• If the person wants to be around you every waking moment, then that may be more of a sign of that person’s insecurities than true love.

Determine if the person truly understands you. True love is true understanding. Though it sounds lame, the person should really “get” you in order to love you. If the person actually understands your moods, knows what you want and what you don’t want, and has an idea of what will make you happy before you may know it yourself, then that may be true love.

• It’s okay if part of you remains mysterious to the person — you don’t have to be understood 100%, but you do have to have the sense that the other person truly understands where you’re coming from most of the time.

See if the person wants the best for you. This should be true even if it isn’t the best for him or her. If a person truly loves you, then s/he will understand that there are some things that you have to do that may not be the best for him or her, or may mean that you will be spending some time apart. If s/he truly loves you, then s/he will understand that you have to spend a summer on a remote island to pursue your career in marine biology, or that you have to go home early to get enough sleep for a test instead of spending the night with him or her.

• If the person only wants what’s best for both of you at all times, then s/he is not really seeing you as a unique individual with your own needs and desires.