Only once. I didn't know what love was , until I met that one .

Four times. I married three of them. My first girlfriend died from a horseback riding accident on her 17th birthday. I still feel some remnants of that love for all of them.

I'm old so 4 is really not a large number for someone my age.

What I felt like love was not love. It was ignorance and stupidity. It was because I had never been close to a woman before.

But some people seem to be falling in love continuously. They must have magic powers. And there are some who are holding out the hope late into '50s, '60s and complain that men or women they met were lousy.

I had to pick "4" in your poll. But in addition to those, I've had a couple of really strong infatuations that made me crazy for a while.

Problem I have only been in love once, but I thought that I had been in love 3 times. Was wrong twice.

I've loved some wonderful men. Although I've had my heart broken a few times, I don't regret loving any of them. Every heartbreak has taught me some important lesson.

Not bad for a old timer

Met a girl the first day in a new school, 6th grade. Something about her just resonates for me. I never had the courage to get to know her, shot myself down. Regretted that most of my life. Got to reunite through Facebook, while I was married. We met and spent a day together, wife included, and I got to say what I should have said all along. Hey, you are pretty great. That was something I had regretted not doing. Obviously no expectations, was not sabotaging my marriage. But she appreciated it and it gave her the courage to reach out to her high school crush and they seem happy together.

Like I said, I was shy, and when I met my wife, she was dating a couple of my friends. Her father felt her not being exclusive would prevent her marrying too young. She was promised to marry one of them after she graduated. One day she asked me why I had never asked her out and what seemed like a safe avenue to explore dating slowly grew into more. Life happened, she hid an addiction to alcohol from me because we did not really socialize like that. So I never expected to look for it, just thought we were growing apart. Once I found out, I bent over backwards to get her to engage with any kind of help and she would not. I reluctantly gave up on someone I still loved, because I could not trust her any more.

Needless to say, I still want love and that special best friend. I resent it canno longer be that lifelong best friend, and I am trying to keep my trusting nature alive and well in the face of internet dating.

I'm gonna answer like a hand in spades.
Two and a possible. Lol.
Not certain of what my feelings were on the possible. Many years ago the memory is cloudy.

3 times to 3 very different men from one another. All 3 tall but different in character and I learned from each one. The first two were heartbreaking lessons.

The only 2 men I ever really loved crushed me spirit. Not really wanting to go for #3

I have yet to feel that I'm in love, but I've felt an overwhelming happiness once, for a few minutes, watching my guy sleeping next to me. Unfortunately that happy feeling went away when he woke up. It would be nice to have that overwhelming happy feeling again sometime, but I have no expectations.

Is being in love a receiving, giving or passive activity?

Once, almost 36 years. I thought I was in love several times before, but I was ignorant, didn't know what it means.

I've been lucky...but I've also had to deal with the trauma of "ending" it....too often.

Once. 31 years together... but he would always say, "We've only been together for a couple of years"
Time flies when you're having fun! We truly enjoyed each other's company. F*ck cancer.

Only once and it was just a brief fling because he obviously wasn't that into me. I've accepted it.

Now, I'm looking for number two, but realistic about it.

We have to understand what our definition of love is. Love means different things to different people. Puppy love for young people is deep love which is cavalier, quick and short lived while elderly who have seen the shades of life will give a more matured answer.

What do you call love?

1. Wanting someone
2. Being wanted
3. Wanting company
4. Being happy with someone
5. Physical attraction
6. Liking sex
7. Liking behaviors
8. Liking good looks
9. Liking life as it is
10. Liking the idea of what life will be like or what will come from his efforts or efforts of both
11. Liking his or her resume, his job, his income
12. Having children
13. Liking the idea of family
14. Gratitude of he or she giving or doing things
15. Liking and feeling good with what he or she says (words of affirmation?)
16. Liking the feeling of showing off to friends and world we are in love, I have my prince, princess, family, our money or success (trust me it exists)
17. Gratitude for being loyal (it should be a given, don't know why this should be an issue)
18. Gratitude for he or she standing by you through the thick and think of life
19. Gratitude for his or her lasting and time and event tested companionship, trust, friendship, caring, respect and sacrifices

I long since concluded that "feeling in love" is a protective safety measure to protect me from the reality of a partner unable to satisfy my needs & I hers.

i put down 5 or more,but have only married and divorced once

If only!!!

It is all hormones & parental modeling. It changes after 6 months, after the birth of a spawn, & after 7 years (itch). So keep an open mind & keep an open relationship, keep the exit open, but keep the purse closed. When the flames mellow to a long and warm glow it is then different & not a failure.......says I.