Eric Siu argues that "I love you" often masks other needs: don't leave me, don't be mad, forgive me, tell me you love me back. Most of what sounds like love isn't genuine love at all.
Some of those times when I was told I love you really meant I love you. But I would say that the majority of times it did not mean that. I love you can mean a lot of different things. I love you can mean don't leave me. I love you can mean don't be mad at me. I love you can mean tell me you love me. I love you can mean forgive me. And I think that is a little sneaky. Because we have been trained to think and believe that love is like the supreme good, which it very well might be, but a lot of these things that look and sound like love are not love in actuality.
