Love is a powerful emotion that can be confusing and difficult to understand. It’s natural to experience strong feelings of attraction and excitement when you first meet someone, but this isn’t necessarily indicative of true love. Infatuation is often mistaken for love due to its intensity, but it’s important to differentiate between the two if you want a lasting relationship with someone. Knowing how to tell the difference between infatuation and love can help you make sure your relationships are healthy, fulfilling, and meaningful in the long run.

One way to determine whether what you’re feeling is real love or simply an intense infatuation is by examining how well your partner knows you. When we’re truly in love with someone, we not only feel deeply connected on an emotional level but also have a deep understanding of each other’s personalities, values, goals, and dreams—all those little things that make up who they are as people. If your relationship doesn’t extend beyond surface-level conversations about likes/dislikes or interests/hobbies without going deeper into each other’s psyche then chances are it could just be infatuation instead of real genuine love. Another way to differentiate between love and infatuation is by looking at how willing you are to make sacrifices for your partner.

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Love means putting their needs above our own, even if it means making difficult choices or going out of our way to do something special. If you’re only willing to go so far as doing the bare minimum in your relationship then it’s likely that you’re still in the infatuation stage. On the other hand, when we truly love someone, we look for ways to make their lives better—whether that’s taking on extra chores around the house or spending time and energy planning thoughtful surprises. Love is a powerful force that requires commitment and dedication, so if all you’re feeling is a fleeting affection, then it’s probably not love. Finally, the best way to decide whether the emotion you’re feeling is truly love or just infatuation is by trusting your gut.