I think everyone would agree that Love can be a complicated situation, especially if we are plagued with infatuation instead of really being in love. As a teenager I was probably in love every other week/month not realizing that it was only infatuation, but you couldn't tell me nothing.....I knew what I was doing. The "Love Jones" would be so far gone that I was determined not to listen to my parents and friends when they tried to convince me otherwise.
This has been a continuing problem with young people as well as adults not knowing the difference between love and infatuation. Let's take a look at the definitions between the two:
1) Love can be described as feeling of intense affection for another person. It is most often talked about as an emotion between two persons. Hence is also sometimes referred to as interpersonal love.
2) Infatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoning passion or love; addictive love. Infatuation usually occurs at the beginning of relationship when sexual attraction is central.
I also found a chart online that I thought might be helpful in giving you examples of love and infatuation (was modified for viewing). - See below
Tip: In order for us to have a healthy view of love we need to educate ourselves and then determine weather or not the relationships we're in is based on real love.
Comparison Chart
Infatuation | Love | |
Associated with: | Physical outlook | Emotionally and intellectually compatible |
Sub-Categories: | Physical desire, crush, or lust. | Romantic Love, Attachment, Passion, intimacy, commitment |
Feelings associated with: | Extreme happiness | a euphoric feeling |
Interdependency: | Cannot be sustained without some portion of love and physical attraction. | Cannot be sustained without communication and some level of physical attraction. |
Meaning: | A feeling of being in love with another person. | A tender, passionate affection for another person. |
Definition: | Infatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoning passion or love. | Constellation of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection or profound oneness |
Attribute: | Wants the same feeling in return. | Not expecting anything in return and desiring the best for the other person |
Symptoms: | Urgency, Intensity, Sexual desire, Anxiety | Connection of your soul with someone else's. It's settling your differences, dealing with conflicts as one person, not two separate entities. |
Person to Person: | Making it work for both involved |
Interesting concept...in my opinion, love has to have to be tested in order to be considered bona fide....for example, could a woman love a man and spend the rest of their life with a man who was paralyzed from the neck down and who could not fulfill the physical aspects of love? I think to love, one must let go all selfishness. Unfortunately, the majority of man is selfish and sadly would not now the meaning of true love
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