Love and infatuation, the basic difference can be best explained as eating an ice-cream and a gooseberry. An ice-cream attracts you quickly and its sweetness carries you away. Whereas a gooseberry, after the initial bitterness leaves a sweetness behind and its stays there. While an ice-cream is unhealthy, gooseberry is extremely healthy. So, infatuation is like ice-cream and love is more like a gooseberry. Though, both love and infatuation are strong feelings for another person, they are very often confused with each other. While infatuation is momentary, love is permanent. From subtle to blatant, there are innumerable differences between love and infatuation. Check out the top 5 differences between the two wonderful feelings.
1. Passion and affection
Passion is the basic trait of infatuation. You are just attracted to each other without an intense feelings from the heart. Yes, it is just about the sexual inclination or attraction you feel for your mate. It just remains till the freshness of your relationship stays and withers after that. Affection is the basis on which love develops. Hence there is much ground for it to grow. It is intense and gets stronger with time.
2. Superficial and mature
No doubt that infatuation is superficial, as it is just based on the moment – the momentary attraction and momentary pleasure. It is a delusional feeling that makes you want more without much thinking. At the same time, love is a more mature feeling. You clearly understand what is good and what is bad and ultimately it gives you happiness. It is all about future, security and happiness. When you are in love, you are just ready to give without expecting anything in return.
3. Obsession and commitment
Obsession is the right word to explain infatuation. It is just a crush or a physical desire for another person. If you don’t get it, anger and jealousy comes up. Love is exactly the opposite feeling. A person will be patient and is ready to accept any challenges that come up. A person in love will work through the conflicts to solve it rather than giving it up. So, there is always a sense of belonging and commitment in love, which can never be expected from infatuation.
4. Security and insecurity
There is immense security, if you are in love. This is because you know, no matter what happens the other person will not leave you behind. But if you are just infatuated, you always have this insecurity looming large that you might lose your partner or they might turn away or cheat.
5. Beautiful and scary
Love is undoubtedly a beautiful and healthy feeling. The beauty of love comes from the fact that there is a mature acceptance of the other person’s imperfections. You are accepted for what you are and that is a great thing. On the other hand, infatuation is scary as there is no commitment and you always are anxious about the other person’s sincerity. Also, in infatuation you tend to think only about yourself. You want your mate to be as you desire, and as a result it can never be a smooth ride.
Infatuation is common among youth, and as you age you realize the difference between this momentary feeling and actual love. So wish you good luck!