Infatuation vs. Love: How to Tell the Difference
While people often like to use them interchangeably, you can see from the definitions that infatuation and love are pretty different emotions. Some of the crucial differences between infatuation and love are some of the different emotions. Some of the important differences that will help you with how to tell if you love someone or are just infatuated with them are. Infatuation is physical, but love is more than that: The biggest thing about infatuation vs love? Infatuation is very much a physical thing- your heart races, your palms sweat and you feel incredibly attracted to the person that you are infatuated with. While love will also have a physical component there is a deeper bond and intensity that will connect you with the partner. Let’s find out the major difference between Infatuation vs Love.
Infatuation is reckless while love is caring: A huge difference between infatuation and love?
Infatuation is reckless and this is why, you are often not rational about the object of your affections in making rash decisions is easier. If you are in love then you often tend to keep the comfort as well as yours in mind at least when you are in a healthy relationship.
Infatuation is not just based on any knowledge of the person, it is often based on something superficial just as the appearance of the person- you can take a celebrity crush or people they’ve only met in passing. Love on the other hand, generally develops out of the real knowledge of a person’s character. It deepens as you get to know your partner better.
Infatuation is possessive, love is confident in the other person’s affections: Contracting infatuation vs love shows that infatuation and getting or having someone are crucial. It is not uncommon for people who are infatuated to get very jealous of anyone or anything that will demand their partner’s attention. When you are in love, you are happy to see your partner having close friendships and a great bond with the family. You know these relationships are not a threat to your own.
While infatuation means going way too fast while love means taking your time, when you are infatuated, the urge to hit all the relationship milestones- getting exclusive, sleeping together and even tying the knot-at warp speed can be overpowering even if a rational mind that knows it’s a terrible idea. However, there is a reason for them “Love is patient”
When you fall in love, you won’t feel the same overpowering rush to move forward in your relationship, regardless of whether you are ready or not. Infatuation is unsustainable while love is not, Finally just as it is impossible to run for a long time at your top speed, it is impossible to maintain an infatuation for a long time. That is not necessarily the worst thing. Just as it is vital to run for a long time at your top speed, it is impossible to maintain an infatuation for a long time. Love is more like a marathon, while it doesn’t have the emotional highs and lows of an infatuation it is steadier and more constant which makes it a powerful emotion to maintain long-term.
5 Ways to turn infatuation to love
Infatuation is temporary while love is long-term: While both are strong feelings, infatuation is rare, and that one lasts very long. Mostly, it comes up at the beginning of getting to know that process and relationship and often dissipates as you get to know the object of your affection better. The definition of love, however, is that it unfolds incrementally and it is something that will grow with time. Since, not all infatuations and love last and are not more than a fleeting thing, while others will last longer and even deeper. However, it is because you get to know a person better and spend more time around them, that you get a sense of who they are as a person other than the superficial knowledge and that is enough for infatuation to develop and if there is an infatuation, you’d like to see grow deeper then here are some of the things which you can do to heighten the chances that it is love vs. infatuation.
1) Decide if you want to commit or not
This is the key which is a huge portion of whether a relationship ends up being infatuation vs love and is you deciding which of the two you want and working towards it. However, making the conscious decision to commit and pursue a relationship means that you will be more aware of the opportunities to deepen the connection. Moreover, you will also be more willing to put in the effort, rather than just letting it fade away, if you’ve decided that a relationship is what you want.
2) Give it some space and time
Infatuations tend to be short-term and often superficial. For one to sprout into something more, the most important thing you can do is just to remain patient and give the space and time to grow. So, Don’t push, trying to shove your feelings forward before they are ready can backfire from what you needed and will doom your love story before it even begins. Despite this, you can take your time and let it progress naturally.
3) Open up and let yourself be vulnerable
However, a huge way human beings will connect is by sharing stories and often vulnerabilities. Opening up to someone that you are infatuated with, letting them see you in a vulnerable state, and being there for them when they do the same is a perfect way to deepen any connection that you two might already have. It is a way to show them who you are and vice versa and thus plant the seed for a real relationship.
4) Learn how to have a healthy conflict
Since we've known that conflict is bad, it is not true. No two humans are wholly alike and those differences are what makes life interesting. Moreover, it is crucial to know how to communicate well and fight fairly, especially if you are looking for a long-term commitment.
5) Do Remember that love is an action
Just like there are many love songs that say “Love is something that we do”, it is not enough to just want to go from infatuation to love, putting in the work to grow and deepen your initial connection is crucial. Arranging dates and spending time with your partner, giving compliments and paying attention, and doing great things for them are some of the ideas for how to attract love.
Difference Between Infatuation and Love
There is no security with Infatuation. You can feel edge and vulnerable as there is no calmness or trust, only confusion and anxiety. Infatuation alone requires constant reassurance and it is impatient. When you are infatuated with someone, it tends to be a rapid, intense, and overwhelming feeling that often leaves as quickly as it appeared.
1) Love Is Long Lasting
Love takes time and it is long-term, love is intentional. It will last through the ups and downs of life. Nothing is predictable but when it is love, not infatuation you know and your partner has committed to loving you for years to come. As they are passionate about you alone.
Since they don’t need to keep catching a high as they have you in life. You are both living in reality and see the truth in who each other is as a person. While you love each other flaws and all.
2) Infatuation Is Temporary
In contrast, Infatuation is temporary and is frequently short-lived. It is not living in reality but a superficial bubble of intense sexual and physical passion. While you have hopes that it is love, infatuation will not every time turn into love. It is often living in a land of fantasy while wishing that things did turn into love even if you see red flags that they may not. But there is always hope!
Is Infatuation Real or Fake?
Infatuation in and of itself is not real, however, Infatuation can turn into true love. Every relationship begins with an intense physical attraction. What happens next is what determines if it is real infatuation or real love. Since infatuation is temporary and love is long-lasting, however, you must be infatuated with your partner over the long haul to some degree.
When you are in love and you want to be superficial or fleeting, you want your mutual physical attraction and heavy on the word mutual to sustain you in good times and bad. Infatuation alone will not stand a long-lasting, secure relationship. But with a healthy dose of Infatuation, while you are in love, you’ll have a safe, healthy, and loving relationship.
But the question arises will you have love and infatuation in a True Love Relationship?
Can you have both Infatuation and Love in a True Love Relationship?
After everything you've said to explain the difference between love and Infatuation then we are now saying that you can have both in a healthy relationship. Yes, it is possible.
First, when you are in a loving and healthy relationship and you are infatuated with each other. The difference is that it is a healthy level of Infatuation. You are obsessed with each other in the sense that you deeply care and love for them and you don’t want anyone to wrong them or hurt them. You love the way they look while you are still physically and sexually attracted to them.
You constantly wish to level up your love and show them how much they mean to you. Moreover, there is still a sense of lust and euphoria and lust when you are in love. You are assured and safe in their love for you and your body. If you both are still infatuated with each other, that is a good sign and a deep emotional bond that will connect you two at this point. Finally, your thoughts, feelings, mood, and anxiety are also affected by love, just as they are affected by Infatuation. Do you know what the difference is?
When it is true love and everything is calm. You will feel secure in their love. However, if you cannot decide if it is love or infatuation then do ask yourself these questions.
Since, you’ve read the difference between Infatuation and love. But every relationship is different, so you are not sure if you are feeling intense feelings of temporary passionate feelings of Infatuation. It happens. Every relationship is unique and each human being has their way of thinking and feeling. It can be a confusing and exhausting process. If you help to decide, we’ve come up with the five questions that should be asked for yourself to determine if it’s infatuation or love.
1. Is my day-to-day mood affected by my relationship?
If you find yourself unusually sad or anxious regularly, then you may have symptoms of an unhealthy infatuation. Feelings of extreme mood changes can be a red flag that you don’t want to ignore. However, an excellent way to find out for yourself if you are in an unhealthy relationship with Infatuation is to observe how you act if you don’t get a text or call from the significant person promptly.
Do you experience feelings of stress or anxiety?
A definite red flag is if you don’t hear from them, you start checking their social media activity like Snapchat and Instagram stories.
Moreover, if you are in love you won’t feel any jealousy or anxiety when you don’t wanna hear from them. However, if you are in love (or in an infatuation stage headed towards true love), then you would not be jealous when you don’t hear from them. You just need to trust that you both are adults with responsibilities and lives and they will only respond when they respond.
2. Is It Only Physical Attraction?
All we know is that you should be physically attracted to each other before there’s any degree of infatuation or love. As we’ve all been there: Sweaty hands, heart pounding in your ears, and cheeks flushing out red. Moreover, if there is only an intense physical attraction, then that is a great sign and that is only Infatuation and it is not true love.
You must maintain physical attraction if you want to move on to true love. However, it is much more steady and intense and more like a calming feeling in the middle of a chaotic world. Moreover, you both love each other for precisely the way you look on your good and bad days too. Your feelings of passion are not associated with short-lived superficial physical attractiveness.
Are Your Feelings of Infatuation Mutual?
If they are mutual, then it is a great sign that your feelings of Infatuation will turn into love. On the other hand, if your feelings are not mutual then it can cause unnecessary jealousy, control, and an unhealthy obsession with the other person. When experiencing high levels of good feelings and passion then it is easy not to see the critical red flags like the other person not exhibiting the same sign of mutual attraction and sexual desire. The best thing you can do is to address your feelings as soon as possible, so there is no room for additional hurt or unnecessary anxiety or feelings.
Is There an Unnecessary Amount of Drama and Confusion?
Does the other person constantly need to feel intense, passionate feelings?
Are there any feelings of possessive anxiety?
If Yes to all these questions that are all signs that your relationship is most likely infatuation, not love mainly if they try to use other forms of control and possession to manipulate your relationship. Feelings of intense passion can be daunting as you need a degree of both infatuation and love, However, the determining factor is if the desire is related to short-term feelings of pleasure but not deep emotional satisfaction.
Have Your Friends and Family Mentioned You Haven’t Seemed Like Yourself?
Change can be good and learning more about yourself and who you are is essential. But if your family and friends mention that you’ve been on edge or tense lately, it might be a great sign that you have an unhealthy infatuation with someone. Did you notice your responsibilities or job tasks have been slipping lately?
Have you been ignoring those important to you, like your siblings, friends, or grandparents?
Communication Matters for Both Love and Infatuation
Communication matters regardless of your status in a relationship. The better the communication is, the less likely one or both of the partners will get hurt. You can discuss your feelings and your concerns which is another great way to navigate the emotional health of your relationship. Moreover, if you want to be honest now and if you decide then it is pure love, you also want to start expressing it more verbally. You can also find several ways to communicate your feelings through online, text, and face time. One of the most unique ways to say that is through our Lovebox-connected messaging system. It is super convenient to send a message with art, stickers, and even love notes. The spinny heart on the box will spin to let them know that they have a new message.
Then, the spinny heart on the box will spin to let them know that they have a new message and then after they read it, they can also return a shower of hearts to your phone. Better yet, get two so that your loved ones will send you a love letter in return.
Wrapping It Up
Love and Infatuation are both accompanied by intense feelings, emotions, and attraction. Moreover, there are several differences between the two which include love is more than just a physical attraction and infatuation is only physical. Love is deep and infatuation is only shallow. However, love is secure while infatuation is insecure. One of the crucial things to remember is that love is long-lasting while infatuation is temporary.