Love is not merely about deriving pleasure from relationships; above all, it is about generously giving oneself to another without regard for personal gain.

The Transformative Power of True Love

Love is not merely about deriving pleasure from relationships; above all, it is about generously giving oneself to another without regard for personal gain. At the very beginning of the journey toward true feeling, it is essential to develop humility and tolerance. By openly acknowledging a loved one’s weaknesses, we show care and support, allowing relationships to develop naturally and harmoniously. This willingness to yield to selfish impulses and accept imperfections is a fundamental element of genuine love.

The next aspect is the acceptance of risk. True love demands courage because when we open our hearts to another, we inevitably expose ourselves to vulnerability and possible disappointments. Yet, it is precisely this risk that transforms relationships into deep and enriching experiences, allowing us to embrace new emotions and sensations. Love becomes a driver of change as we begin to see wonders in the ordinary, turning an empty palm into a source of warmth and light even amidst the imperfections of our surroundings.

Finally, the true art of loving is expressed in the ability to forget oneself for the sake of another. This is when personal interests recede into the background, giving way to selfless devotion. Such an approach not only strengthens the bonds between people but also creates an atmosphere of mutual respect and support in which everyone can reveal their soul.

Ultimately, to love means not just to experience feelings but to actively work so that the relationship becomes a source of growth and beauty, where every little detail takes on a new, astonishing meaning.

How can one determine that a person truly knows how to love, and what key elements does this ability include?

In my view, the capacity to love is demonstrated not so much by what one receives from relationships but by what one is capable of giving selflessly without regard to one’s own gains or needs. A person who knows how to love is characterized by a number of qualities, each contributing significantly to this ability.

Firstly, the capacity to love includes the ability to show humility and tolerance toward another person's weaknesses. As it is written:
"Love lies in showing humility towards the one you cherish. This can be very easily observed in the relationship between a mother and child..." (source: link txt)
This means that a genuinely loving person is ready to overcome selfish impulses, exhibit kindness, and provide support even in inconvenient moments, without judging or demeaning.

Secondly, the ability to love is linked with the readiness to embrace risks. Love is always accompanied by the fact that opening oneself to another makes us vulnerable, potentially leading to the pain of loss or disappointment. As noted:
"Of course, love inevitably involves risk... even if it means that we might be unloved or that we ourselves might cease to love." (source: link txt)
Here, it is emphasized that true emotion requires courage and a readiness to face risks, because without this, passion and profound relationships cannot flourish.

A third essential element is the ability to actively transform one’s perception of reality by turning the mundane into something meaningful. Love is viewed not merely as an emotion but as a creative force that requires the labor of the soul, striving to see the best even in imperfection:
"Love is the labor of transforming reality, turning an empty palm into a chocolate bar, into a miracle... seeing the best in the mundane, the imperfect—this is the soul’s labor, this is love." (source: link txt)
Thus, the ability to love implies the capacity to find and create beauty and goodness even where, at first glance, there seems to be none.

Finally, true love is inherently connected with renouncing selfishness and being ready to forget oneself for the sake of another. A person capable of loving knows how to both accept and give gifts, to be vulnerable by opening up their heart to another:
"To love another means to step out of your cozy solitude, to open yourself to the drafts, to expose yourself to the unpredictability of another's freedom. To love another means to forget oneself." (source: link txt)
This underlines that the ability to love consists not only in experiencing warm feelings but also in selfless sacrifice, in a striving for the loved one’s well-being to outweigh one's own interests.

Thus, one can determine that a person truly knows how to love by their readiness to take risks, overcome their own selfishness, display humility, transform the environment around them, and be capable of deep, selfless giving. If their actions and relationships reflect a consistent tendency to place the interests of the other before their own, this is likely a sign of genuine capacity for love.

Supporting citation(s):
"Love lies in showing humility towards the one you cherish. This can be very easily observed in the relationship between a mother and child..." (source: link txt)
"Of course, love inevitably involves risk... Everyone can find someone who will love them. But will I love my wife? Will I be able to love her? ... You see, Elena, not being loved or failing to secure love is not the worst thing—the inability to love is." (source: link txt)
"Love is the labor of transforming reality, turning an empty palm into a chocolate bar, into a miracle... seeing the best in the mundane, the imperfect—this is the soul’s labor, this is love." (source: link txt)
"To love another means to step out of your cozy solitude, to open yourself to the drafts, to expose yourself to the unpredictability of another's freedom. To love another means to forget oneself." (source: link txt)