Liv Walde
To love unconditionally and hopelessly and expect nothing in return is at times deeply romantic.
It makes you think of star-crossed sweethearts and soulmates.
What’s often overlooked is how loving unconditionally can be just as much a blessing as a curse.
To give all of yourself and receive very little or nothing at all in return can leave deep wounds upon a person’s heart.
The selfless and adoring nature of unconditional lovers is therefore something you must treat with care. If you’re graced with the love of such a tender individual, this isn’t something you should take lightly.
In fact, unconditional lovers are often those who suffer the most and have their hearts broken time and time again, despite being the most loyal and caring people.
They always find it in them to keep loving, so the least you could do is look out for and celebrate these 10 special traits that set them apart:
1) They’ll never judge you
Part of what makes the love they give so unconditional is that it comes with no strings attached; no terms or conditions nor scenarios in which you could lose their love.
The beauty of this is that you can unwind in the presence of such a person.
Something in their aura radiates warmth and they’re often one of the first and only people you can feel safe enough to show your own true colors.
Revealing an embarrassing childhood crush or your quirky shell collection (that takes up your entire spare room) will never be met with a frown or a smirk.
People who love unconditionally will love every inch and corner of you, even the bits you thought society would never accept.
They’ll herald the traits that distinguish you and probably start bringing shells to feed the collection.
2) They’re reliable
Although you should never hurt someone who loves you with all their heart, you should know that you can push them or leave and return time and time again, and they’ll always be waiting.
But this again is a special trait that sets them apart which you need to protect and never take advantage of.
Unconditional lovers will be ready to welcome you back after time spent apart or busy periods.
They can also undoubtedly be counted on to answer your call in the middle of the night and will be within reach and willing to listen whenever you need them.
3) They’re extremely empathetic
The empathy of unconditional lovers is so acute.
If you’re upset or in distress, you know that you can vent to them day and night.
They’ll not only listen but will tell you that whilst they haven’t experienced what you have, they still share in your pain and will grieve with you.
Most of the time, you don’t even need to tell them you’re suffering; they have an absurdly accurate sixth sense for detecting your emotions and seem to know how you’re feeling before you do.
4) Their thoughtfulness is unmatched
Forget vanilla relationships where you gift one another discounted mugs, socks or candles.
The way in which unconditional lovers study you and work overtime to learn everything about you means that they know how to make a difference in your life.
And being as empathetic as they are, they’ll present you with the most thoughtful of gifts and go out of their way to make your life just that little bit easier.
To them, you’re an encyclopedia to be studied and analyzed so that they can understand how you think and feel and love you to the best of their abilities.
5) You can trust them without question
Once you’ve overcome the initial hurdle of being scared of what someone will say or whether they will judge you, you’re then faced with the worry that they’ll spill all your secrets.
Luckily this fear gets swept away when confiding in people who love unconditionally.
You can rest assured that any secrets you impart they’ll take with them to their grave.
6) They endure a lot of pain
As I mentioned earlier, part of loving with all your heart is encountering those who are not worthy of your love and having those same people take advantage of it.
This often means having your boundaries crossed, your generosity abused, and your personal space invaded – all because they know you see so much good, to the extent that you often cannot see the bad.
And yet, sometimes the curtain falls and the unconditional lover is sat alone with their pain.
They believe people are pure because their own heart is, and they want to love in a way that they want to be loved.
And yes, this leads to them getting burned and broken.
Yet they don’t seem to give up on the hope that people remain worthy of their love.
Despite everything, they continue to weather heartbreak and disappointment without turning into a scorned and bitter individual.
7) Yet they keep loving (because they see the good in everyone)
You call it naivete, I call it kindness (maybe I’m the naïve one).
Those who love unconditionally seem to have tunnel vision where they often overlook bad traits or mean habits and see only the good in those around them.
This works both for and against them, as glossing over someone’s darker side can mean you ignore the warning signs and end up paying for it.
Still, they forgive time and time again. They dish out second chances like it’s nobody’s business, and they hold a strong and unwavering belief that people can grow and change.
This firm belief in the capacity for anyone to change, even the wickedest of souls, does actually inspire you.
Because if they so adamantly believe that you could change, surely you can?
8) They’re fiercely loyal
It would be difficult to love unconditionally without loyalty.
How could you put your person up on a pedestal and love them equivocally yet not honor your loyalty towards them?
Hence why those who love unconditionally also stick by the people they bless with this love.
You won’t catch them stabbing you in the back, cheating on you, or gossiping about you to their pals.
To them, your bond is sacred. They would never intentionally do anything to harm the connection you both share, and would go down fighting on your side.
9) They tell the truth
If relationships are built on communication and honesty, you better believe that people who love unconditionally will do all that is in their power to maintain these pillars.
They know full well that lying spoils relationships rotten and breaks trust in an instant.
For this reason (and owing generally to bright and instinctual honesty that shines within them), you won’t catch them telling tales or otherwise lying to your face.
They respect and love you far too much to go and spoil it like that, and instead wear their honesty with pride.
10) They’re courageous
To love and to lose takes courage.
Baring all and getting vulnerable means you’re in the firing line if things go south.
Yet despite the risks, people who love unconditionally seem to strip down and embrace the risks that the way in which they love exposes them to.
You might look at their plight from afar and call them silly for not whisking themselves away and cocooning their love the first time it got hurt, but really, they’re so incredibly brave.
This unfaltering belief that people are worthy of this pure devotion, and the way that they constantly put their own heart and feelings on the line to bestow it upon others demonstrates the powerful force of their courage.
Final words
Hopefully I’ve dived deep enough into the special traits that people who love unconditionally tend to exhibit.
I’m sure you’ll agree that their adamant belief in the goodness of mankind and their tendency to put their own feelings at risk for that belief is a rare and unique trait.
If you think of a person when you read the above traits, I hope that you leave with more awareness of the sincerity and care that unconditional love holds.
Whilst many people will take advantage of such individuals, I hope as well that you work instead to protect those who love unconditionally and cherish the love that they give.
And if you yourself are an unconditional lover, I hope that you spread that love far and wide whilst continuing to protect yourself.
