What is the difference between loving another human being, and liking one?

I belive liking is more of a superficial feeling. You can like a person without knowing him/her. You can like the way a person acts, looks, talks or thinks.
Loving is a deeper lever. It doesn´t necesairly mean you are in love with someone, but you can love the way a person looks, thinks, etc...
The difference is the passion that loving something can make you feel.
That is my opinion.

when you like someone, its more a feeling of friendship and caring with an element of attraction where the future between the two of you may be uncertain.
love is a feeling that is more sure of itself. it is harder to describe because it pulls at your heart. you feel a longing to be closer to and get to know this person more, to want to know everything about him/her. it is when your heart and mind agree on the same thing - that special someone. even though love can be harder to explain, it is like a certainty of what and whom you want.

By definition, love is the investment of emotional commitment to another person. You put the welfare of their needs and desires over your own because you value their welfare. The loss of one with whom you have committed deep emotional feelings can deeply effect your well-being and how your view your life.

Friendship is not as intense. You can regret the loss of that friendship, but it is not an emotional investment, so wouldn't be as intense a loss. The feelings of friendship are more superficially based on mutual likes and dislikes, a casual enjoyment of their company.

In Spanish, a more inflexible language than English, there's a big difference between "te quiero" (I like you) and "te amo" (I love you). Love, in English, is a word that commonly is very loosely used. For example, it's common to sign a letter "Love, ____", between family and friends that may not necessarily share a romantic relationship.

In Spanish, however, "te amo" most unequivocally means deep and passionate love. "Te quiero" can mean "I care for you" or "I like you", definitely in a more superficial and unromantic way.

Bottom line is that in English it really depends on the context.

I don't really know what triggers the difference and I certainly don't accept the thrills of early stage relationships as love, but long ago I came to realize one way for me to tell. I was standing there, looking down on the Lake of the Clouds and, in that moment I knew - the one I wished was standing there sharing the view with me was the person I loved. Not those I'm eager to show the pictures to, but anyone I wish to share a special experience with.
Now I know the pleasure of comfortable love over passionate (not that it isn't passionate, but there is more and it is always difficult to fully understand.)
Besides - I "like" all people and I certainly wouldn't have room for everyone (would definitely run out of potatoes (or potatos if you prefer.))

I think it can be the opposite. I think you can love someone and NOT like them. I loved my exhusband. We were together many years. I just didn't like him. I did not like what he stood for and believed in. I did not like the person he became. I did not like his attitudes or his ideas on how life should be. I did not like the way he acted. I didn't even like him to touch me. I did not like him. I did love him though.

clarebear - what an interesting twist that might be to the original question. Is it possible that men and women would, in truth, approach the question differently - do they perceive and experience like and love in a gender unique way?
I certainly don't know, but think there could be something there.

I agree with these answers: In a nut shell....When you like someone and they leave out of your life, sure it's a bit upsetting but, it doesn't take long to move on and your life resumes.
When you love someone and circumstances happens that they leave out of your life, it takes longer to move on; more emotions are felt and it tears you up a bit more.... a healthy thing is knowing that life does go on and so must you!

"Love is patient. . . and kind . . ."
NOT.

People tell me my definition of "love" is wrong- I still believe it's that intense passion and undeniable chemistry that you can't ignore no matter how hard you try to resist it.
"Like" can be when you care about someone but aren't attracted to them.
I have guy friends that I like, but no one that I have that intense feeling about where I want to be with them all the time, and my heart aches without them. That to me is love and I won't settle for less. But then again, don't listen to me because my last relationship was really intense and passionate and ended as a complete nightmare.

Anyways, in my experience love is irrational and dangerous, at least in terms of romantic love, love hurts.