{"id":17504,"date":"2022-09-16T01:58:26","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T08:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/datemixstaging.wpengine.com\/?p=17504"},"modified":"2024-07-17T09:05:59","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T16:05:59","slug":"infatuation-vs-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/love\/infatuation-vs-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Infatuation vs. Love: How To Tell The (Crucial!) Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Infatuation vs. love has been a subject of debate since ancient times. For years, humankind has enjoyed discussing love<\/a>, infatuation, sex, and romance. Many of us, whether early in our romantic lives or much later, have confused infatuation with love \u2013 often with messy consequences. But, is it ever possible to be completely aware of the difference?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infatuation and love are, at the outset, two very similar and easily mistakable sensations. What\u2019s more, they\u2019re not mutually exclusive. You can feel both simultaneously, or one can develop into the other. But we\u2019re getting ahead of ourselves. Let\u2019s begin with defining what love and infatuation are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infatuation vs. Love: Defining the Two Terms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is love?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Baby don\u2019t hurt me<\/em>. Ahem. Sorry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love, out of the two emotional states, is the trickier one to define. This is probably because we use it in tons of situations: I love my spouse; I love my dog; I love a pair of comfy sweatpants. For centuries, poets have attempted to define romantic love succinctly. It\u2019s a topic that\u2019ll likely never be resolved to the satisfaction of everybody all at once. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than ponder the meaning of love<\/a> endlessly, we\u2019ll take the short road in this instance and go with the Oxford English Dictionary\u2019s definition of love. It defines the phenomenon as \u201ca feeling of deep affection or fondness for someone, typically arising from a recognition of attractive qualities, from natural affinity, or from sympathy and manifesting itself in concern for the other’s welfare and pleasure in his or her presence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is infatuation?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Infatuation is defined as feelings that are strong but not usually long-lasting<\/a>. Essentially, infatuation involves an obsession. It’s an intense emotional state in which we obsess about that special someone, talk about them, fantasize about them, the works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infatuation tends to be a very passionate emotion. Lots of love poems are written in a state of early infatuation when all those serotonin and oxytocin bombs are going off internally. It\u2019s cinematic, exhilarating, joyous, and sometimes, it\u2019s maddening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the Difference Between Love and Infatuation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s often confusion when it comes to the difference between love and infatuation. You may have even felt confused between the two yourself at one point or another. Simply put,  infatuation involves shallower feelings of endearment towards another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of infatuation as a holiday fling. Intense, brief, and for the duration you\u2019re both in \u2018holiday mode\u2019 \u2013 healthy, excited, and sexy. It\u2019s often physical, reckless, and obsessive. Infatuation can occur after meeting somebody just once or following an intense first date sex<\/a> experience. But, it\u2019s far harder to claim you love someone after only one conversation or physical encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infatuation largely occurs when our knowledge of the person we\u2019re obsessing over is limited. When we\u2019re early on in the process of getting to know someone, it can be easy to idealize them. That is, filling in the blank patches of their persona with our desires, projecting our wants and needs onto them, thereby transforming them, from our perspective, into something close to perfect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love is the opposite of this. When we truly love someone, we know far more about them, including what they\u2019re like when they\u2019re not<\/em> in \u2018holiday mode.\u2019 Compared to infatuation, love involves looking at the bigger picture, acknowledging any flaws, and accepting the person as a whole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love is a calmer and more caring emotion. When it\u2019s mutual, there\u2019s a sense of deep trust and confidence. Conversely, infatuation can lead to jealousy and possessiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Am I in Love or Infatuated?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, now it\u2019s time to decide: Is it infatuation or love? If you\u2019re having strong feelings for somebody and you\u2019re struggling to tell if it\u2019s genuine love, here are some handy questions to ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n