To be loved or liked?

To be loved or to be liked? Seems like such a simple question, but for me, it’s a lot deeper than it appears on the surface. It also sounds very similar, but there’s a big difference. Being liked has more to do with the quantity than the quality and then the reverse is the case for being loved.

I read a book and a character said, “There’s often a misconception that to be well-loved, the love has to come from multiple sources when truthfully, one or two people can love you with the strength of ten”.

This is because the word “love” is such a big responsibility that it’s quite hard to find anyone who has so many who are willing to shoulder that responsibility.

Being liked, on the other hand, doesn’t require much from you, but doesn’t give the level of depth that being loved gives. Being liked is also pretty easy, but being loved is hard because as they say, nothing good comes easy. So I ask again, to be loved or to be liked?

Ibukun from MANI