To Love or to Be Loved?

I find myself pondering on the importance of love yet again. Along the years I seem to have gone through so many stages of it. However, what it all comes down to is our selfish need for love.
The questions is whether it is more important to love or to be loved.
If we admit to ourselves one of the needs above, our lives really should become easier. I doubt that there can be a perfect balance in any relationship. One will always love more than the other.
And unless we figure out and admit to ourselves where we want to stand in a relationship, we will always be in danger of contributing to our own unhapiness and frustration by expecting both.
I for one, need to love rather than be loved in return. If I am, I'll take it as a bonus. But no matter how great the love of my partner for me, I find it close to impossible to stay in a relationship where I no longer love with the same passion. As long as I do feel passionately (and blindly) about the other person, I can take anything that is thrown at me, finding confort in my own feelings and the loyalty and dedication I sustain, even singlehandedly.