Love Vs. Infatuation : What Are The Main Differences?

It’s difficult to tell the difference between love and infatuation, especially when you’re young, easily impressionable and inexperienced in the world of romance and dating.

While, when you’re thinking of your romantic interest, you don’t really care if they call this love or infatuation, it  may come in handy to know how to differentiate the two feelings.

Let’s analyze both to get a better understanding of what you may be actually experiencing.

 

Love

Love is when you care deeply and strongly about another person, you support them and wish them well, and are willing to make sacrifices for their sake. It entails intimacy, emotional connection, trust, loyalty, understanding, and forgiveness, and it takes time to develop. It doesn’t just happen instantly. Also read how love and lust are different.

 

Infatuation

Infatuation is when you feel swept off your feet or carried away by your romantic interest. You know how you get goose bumps every time you see or think of the other person? Or how you find yourself daydreaming and smiling for no reason?

Or how you feel you’re obsessed with that person and simply can’t take them off your mind? This is infatuation, and it’s how most love relationships start out.

You think you’ve fallen in love at first sight? It sounds so romantic, but it’s not actually true – that feeling, is, again, infatuation. But there’s nothing wrong with it in the end as, in many cases, it can grow and develop into true, long-lasting love.

 

The Differences between Love and Infatuation

To get an even better understanding of how infatuation and love are different, let’s put them side by side and see what their specific characteristics are. Check out the table below for a clear overview:

Love		Infatuation
Love develops slowly, as you get to know the person.		Infatuation is sudden.
Love is calm, steady, bringing confidence and contentment.		Infatuation can be consuming, feeling like a draining euphoria similar to the effect of drugs.
Love is selfless.		Infatuation is often selfish.
Love is usually generous.		Infatuation is often possessive.
Healthy love is confident and respectful.		Infatuation can lead to excessive jealousy or envy and even obsession.
When you love someone, you love them for who they are, faults and all.		When you’re infatuated with someone, you see an idealized version of your romantic interest.
Love is patient, relaxed and easygoing.		Infatuation gives you a feeling of urgency, anxiety, and intensity, often leading to reckless choices.
Love can last for a lifetime.	Infatuation is short-lived. The feeling either disappears as suddenly as it appeared, or it grows into actual love as time passes.

 

What do you think? Can you confidently tell the difference between love and infatuation now? And what do you believe you may be experiencing? For answers to more difficult questions such as this one, as well as articles on a variety of interesting topics, subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll get our most exciting releases straight to your inbox!