There is a big difference between love and infatuation, and it’s important that you know some of the telltale signs. The more of these signs you are aware of, the more you will be able to protect yourself from getting hurt down the road. While Hollywood movies might teach us that love is infatuation, they are actually two completely different things.
1. You aren’t spending much time with your family or friends anymore
If you find that you aren’t spending much time with your family or friends but instead with the person you’re dating, it’s time to take a step back and reexamine things. The last thing you want is to neglect the other important people in your life just because you found someone else that you really like or love. It is not healthy at all to start ignoring other people in favor of someone else, no matter how strongly you may feel about them.
2. You are becoming increasingly possessive
Possessiveness is definitely another all too common sign of infatuation, so you will need to keep that in mind. It’s never a good idea thing when you start to become possessive of someone new who comes into your life, because it will only lead to trouble. If you cannot stand the idea of this person spending time with anyone else, you will need to reassess whether what your feeling is really love or infatuation.
3. You are not using logic anymore
Usually when a person becomes really infatuated with someone, logic goes right out the window. You will want to step back and decide whether or not you are thinking logically. While the movies may tell us that we should just use our hearts when it comes to matters of romance, it is still very important to use our heads. If you are not thinking logically when it comes to someone new in your life, you will definitely want to start doing so immediately. You won’t be able to make any truly good decisions if you are not thinking logically.
4. Heightened emotions
When you become infatuated with someone, your emotions tend to get the best of you. It is very important that you recognize when your emotions are starting to take control, because failing to do so can put you down a very bad path. Sometimes it’s okay to allow ourselves to get a little carried away with our emotions, but you don’t want to take it to the extreme. Make sure that you keep your emotions in check so they don’t end up getting the best of you.
5. You think the person is all you have
Another hallmark of infatuation is thinking or believing that this person is the only one you have, which is a very potentially dangerous and self-destructive mentality overall. People who become obsessed with someone else only focus on them, and in their mind there is nobody else. Even if you have plenty of family and friends who love you dearly, it can seem like this new person in your life is really the only one that matters. It’s crucial that you keep perspective and remember that they are only just one person and there are plenty of others in your life that are worthwhile.
6. You only talk about this person
If you find yourself only talking about this person when you are with others, you might just have a serious case of infatuation. It’s simply not healthy or a good idea at all to limit your discussion to just one person, regardless of how much you may love or care about them. There should be more in your world than just this one person, and the things you discuss with others should reflect that.
7. You begin to show clear signs of obsession
There are certain signs of obsession that you should look out for if you have recently met someone new that you feel very strongly about. Even those who are mentally healthy as a whole can become very obsessive when they meet someone they develop feelings for. If the people around you are telling you you’re a little too obsessed about the person you’re seeing, you will definitely want to listen to them.
8. You love everything they do
The fact is that you can love someone without loving every single thing about them and every single thing they do, and that is almost always the case with every couple. If you claim to love everything about this person, you might just be infatuated with them. It’s important to understand and accept that every human being has their own set of flaws, and that includes the person that you feel so strongly about now.
9. You only seem to care about them
One of the more obvious signs of obsession is that you only seem to care about them and nobody else. You will need to make sure that you are giving all the people in your life and love and attention they deserve instead of just this one person. It is not healthy to feel like you only care about one person, because chances are there are a number of other people that you really do care about. Don’t let your strong feelings for one person blind you to this fact.
10. You’re living in a fantasy world
Those who are infatuated with someone are essentially living in their own little fantasy world. This means that they are constantly daydreaming about them and thinking about how perfect they are. The fact is that this mentality isn’t conducive to a healthy long-term relationship, so you can’t live in that headspace forever. It’s important that you bring yourself back down to reality as soon as possible. When you begin dealing with the reality of the person as opposed to your fantasy, you will be able to make a good decision as to whether or not you should get into a serious relationship with them.
