It’s quite possibly the weirdest phrase in the English language.

Because, oddly enough, it’s a non-question that demands an answer: If someone says, “I love you,” the hoped-for, appropriate response is–you know this–“I love you too.”

But what if you put yourself out there in such a way, and get something else?

As it turns out, many people are more than a little creeped out by saying these words. Really, if a short Google search can yield an article called 100+ Alternative Ways To Say, “I Love You,” it must be a Thing.

So why should you say it if it’s sometimes so hard? Listen in to give yourself some courage, and re-remind yourself what you may already know: that nothing says “I love you” like “I love you.” And somebody needs to hear it from you.