Someone on yahoo answers said that infatuation is the beginning and it's all hormones. Then when the feeling is over, you figure out wheter or not you truly love this person.
isn't it something that is totally unrelated to true love?
2007-01-02 10:33:17 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Psychology
Ah, yes. The never-ending question: What is (true) love?
Some say love is a feeling.
Some say love is a bunch of hormones.
Some say otherwise...
Actually, the first two people said the same thing.
Here's the thing. You want to know true love, but no one ever defined true love. It's not like a mathematical equation. So, you have to define it for yourself. What do you think true love is?
Does true love last forever?
Is true love passionate?
You know, there have been great (and ancient) philosophers that have asked themselves the same question as you did. And they came up with some pretty neat stuff. The Ancient Greek actually have 4 words for love, so here's a breakdown:
Eros (lust): Attractive, romantic love. This is the "feeling".
Philia: Friendship love, between familiars and/or equals. Could be what you have for your best friends and/or your family.
Agape: Self-sacrificing love. Being able to place the needs of others before one's own wants and needs. (there's a difference between "want" and "need")
Storge: the natural affection between parent and offspring.
Obviously, if, by true love, you mean as in "happily ever after" love, then it is not "storge". However, I would have to say that (and this is my opinion) true love is a combination of all three of the other loves Eros, Philia, and Agape.
Without Philia, a marriage would not last long. If two people cannot be friends, how can they live together?
Without Agape, a marriage would not last long either. How can a relationship survive, especially through difficult times, if they are so selfish as to abandon the other person in order to seek their own survival?
And lastly, without Eros, what kind of relationship can they have except that of a great friendship?
But then again, just my humble opinion.
2007-01-02 11:05:08 · answer #1 · answered by Simplex Spes 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infatuation is nature's way of reproducing the species. It occurs in all species in different ways.
We are humans, with lots of history individually, problems and situations. We are not two ducks on a pond who quack, fertilize and make a baby duckie or six.
Real love requires a lot more, and the basis is a great friendship. The divorce rate in the USA is astronomical for first and second time marriages. The reason is that people get married for sex, position, infatuation, and other reasons, none of which are real love.
Read lots of books on what is needed to make a relationship work and happy. IN fact, if someone is really good to you, they start to look better and better every day. If someone is bad to you, you won;t even be able to get an erection eventually, or of you do, you will feel disgust simultaneously.
2007-01-02 10:52:44 · answer #2 · answered by Legandivori 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The definition of infatuation is "Possessed by an unreasoning passion or attraction"
You can be attracted to someone for all different reasons. Intellect, money, humor etc. Doesn't mean it always has to do with hormones. When it is a love interest it is something like having a crush. After you get to know the person better and move into a more real relationship your feelings can grow into something more mature and meaningful or diminish and fade.
2007-01-02 10:39:50 · answer #3 · answered by BRENDA 1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infatuation is false love that can be replaced with real love once you get to know the person. Infatuation is love on the surface while love requires a deeper knowledge of someone.
infatuation
The act of infatuating; the state of being infatuated; folly; that which infatuates.
An unreasoning love or attraction.
love
An intense feeling of affection and care towards another person
2007-01-02 10:49:07 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think infatuation is closer to the word obsession - kind of a an adrenaline. Love is a pure feeling of affection.
2007-01-02 11:40:46 · answer #5 · answered by GoodQuestion 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is the beginning of love. it is the first step only. it CAN lead to true love in the end so is therefore not totally unrelated to true love. but no, not every little infatuation equals true love. that would be silly.
2007-01-02 10:46:23 · answer #6 · answered by Lexi Lexington 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infatuation is totally different from love because it usually only involves one person. Whether they know it or not.
2007-01-02 10:50:23 · answer #7 · answered by Redrose 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Romantic attraction is a part of love.
The second part is compatibility, sort of whether the two of them could be friends.
both parts are important, b/c romantic feelings are like fire - easy to start under right circumstances, but hard to maintain in the long term. Especially when compatibility is lacking, which is like a sprinkler over the fire.
2007-01-02 10:35:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think infatuation is love. I think love is love no matter how short or long it lasts.
2007-01-02 10:41:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
great question ! i had to look up infatuation myself here . well it means to behave irrationally with passion or attraction while love itself means (according to this dictionary) an intense attraction for another person based on personal or familiar ties. wow i have to remember that for myself here too now hey thanks for asking that question now i learned something too .
2007-01-02 10:50:25 · answer #10 · answered by cherylanne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋