say what you mean

... mean what you say. Life would be so much less complicated if everybody did that.

I've been thinking a lot lately about definitions, and context, and casual vs. deep meaning. Specifically, I've been thinking a lot about the phrase "I love you."

We say it to our pets (who are just happy for an extra treat). We say it to our family members. We say it to our friends. There are a number of different shades of it. But it gets all mucked up when people substitute "love" for "like."

Someone told me they loved me a few days ago. It's not someone I'm romantically linked with, or who I even know that well, particularly. And while those words are always nice to hear, it gets confusing when the person saying them is trying to communicate deep affection instead.

We either need a definition of terms in this language or a clear distinction. A big hug and an "I like you!" doesn't carry the same weight, but it doesn't make somebody you hardly know wonder where it's coming from.