Although I was not a fan of this author I thought the book's concept was well thought through. It had some interesting theories and the test at the end brought some real insights into how my friends and I both give and receive love.

My 5 languages of love are:

This came to no surprise to me as anyone who knows me knows that I am not a hugger. But not only did the test get my 5 languages of love correct it got me thinking of how each person interprets love.

The reason why I am so high on the 'Acts of Service' language of love is because my mother used to always do acts of service to express her love to my family. She used to clean your room, make your favourite type of food, or buy something for you on her way back from the shops without you even asking. These 'Acts of Service' or in my love language 'Acts of love' showed she cared about us. She thought about her children on a daily basis and wanted to make us happy.

When I saw 'Receiving gifts' as my second language of love I was not surprised at all as I am a gifter. I love giving gifts to people to let them know that I care about them. This doesn't have to be an expensive gift however, if I am out and about and I see something that my housemate would like, I'd buy that gift for her just to make her happy. This love characteristic also comes from my mother. She always used to bring little trinkets home all the time. If I was studying for an exam she used to bring me my favourite snacking food to help me study. And if something was on sale that she knew I would love, she would buy me two just to express her love. In my world, receiving gifts doesn't have to be a big expensive thing, it just means that you thought about that person while you were away from them and you brought something back to show you cared.

'Words of Affirmation' is an interesting one for me, not because I can't take a compliment, but because I think words only mean so much. If you say you love me that's nice, but showing or expressing this feeling is a lot more believable. This is also a trait I must've picked up from my childhood, as my parents and siblings never really expressed their love or gratitude through words it was usually actions.

Now I love 'Quality Time' with friends and family members but I think this isn't as strong as my other love languages because although I enjoy quality time, I don't think it really expresses how much you mean to someone. Again this is just my personal view.

Only receiving one point for 'Physical Touch' really wasn't a surprise for me or my friends once I finished the test. I'm not a hugger - I'm normally a patter. I believe when people try to hug me it's more of an intrusion of my personal space, and more of a benefit to their needs than mine. How can someone closing their arms around me and restricting my movements give me any benefit? For me, physical touch is definitely last on my list of giving and receiving love. I have recently learned to hug one of my housemates as I have now learned that physical touch is one of her highest languages of love - along with words of affirmation. Now although these languages are not high on my love language list, I have learned to incorporate these into my relationship with her. So instead of buying her gifts to express my love or gratitude I try to tell her I care and give her a hug when she needs one as I now understand patting doesn't really cut it in some situations.

What is your language of love? Try the test here and comment below! I'd love to hear your take on whether you agree or disagree with the results.

The 5 Love Languages