Reference no: EM132347382 , Length: word count:500
Assignment -
Once upon a time, I had a long distance girlfriend who said I didn't care about her. I was exhausted from the effort I put into the relationship and equally did not feel appreciated. She was expecting me to tell her how much I loved her and always have some physical contact (i.e., hand holding, snuggling), but I am reserved with my words and not a fan of physicality. Instead, I show my affection through giving gifts and doing things for others. I enjoy spending time doing things together and people also doing things for me, but she was always busy to the point we hardly ever saw one another. Our relationship did not last_ So, what went wrong? Turns out, we had completely different love languages!
Love language is defined as 'a particular notion of what counts as love' (Chapman, 2010). There are two components to love language: how you give and how you receive. While you may show your affection one way, you may have an alternative on what makes you feel loved. There are five factors (or languages) to consider:
1. Words of affirmation - verbally communicating feelings/emotions.
2. Physical touch - nonverbal communication (often through touch).
3. Receiving gifts -giving people objects or things.
4. Quality time - focused, undivided attention spent with another person.
5. Acts of service - doing something for someone that shows you care.
If you are curious what this looks like in a relationship, look at this chart that explores how to communicate, actions to take, and things to avoid:
Write a short reflection on your experience with love languages. What is your love language/what do you need from others to feel they care? What is your reciprocal love language/how do you show others you care? What are some issues that you have experienced/witnessed with regards to this? Using anecdotal evidence, reflect on a past romantic relationship you have either experienced or witnessed.
References - Chapman, G (2010). The 5 love languages. Chicago, IL: Northfield.