Relationship Experts Recommend Saying ‘I Love You’ Even If You Don’t Mean It

ORLANDO, FL—Emphasizing that it’s just words, after all, a team of relationship experts issued a recommendation Thursday that stressed the importance of saying “I love you” even if you don’t mean it. “It can be stressful when a significant other prompts you to verbalize your affection, but if you immediately say ‘I love you,’ you can avoid making things even more stressful,” couples therapist Randall Woodard told reporters, explaining that sometimes you just have to “fake it until you make it,” and that’s even more true when it comes to expressing love for your partner. “We actually recommend saying ‘I love you’ as soon as possible after meeting someone, regardless of your true feelings. Ultimately, adult relationships are something you have to deal with even if, deep inside, you’re filled with nothing more than a general numbness and you aren’t sure you’re capable of achieving a genuine emotional attachment to another person. The reality is that partners enjoy hearing ‘I love you’ and never know whether you’re saying it sincerely or not.” Woodard went on to offer a reminder that “I love you” is most effective when spoken during a fight, as it essentially functions as a get-out-of-jail-free card.