Infatuation VS Love

I just want opinions and minds willing to think rationally. I often hear or as is the case here, see the word "love" thrown around and I just want to know what is it that makes love, love? I more than understand the "feels" and chemical process. But, I just wonder how many confuse feelings for love. Love to me can be summed up as this, sacrifice. Now, I don't mean an unwilling sacrifice, rather, sacrificing because to you the gains are more than worth the sacrifice. To quote a certain book that seems fitting for this topic...(Spiritual belief set aside.) 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. In short, it's a damn powerful thing that should not be thrown around and vomited out because of some brief fanciful "feelings", in my opinion.

To me, love is as unconditional as it can get. To love someone is to open yourself and be vulnerable enough for someone to hurt you. It's beyond trust. Love is putting another's needs before your own. You make sacrifices for someone you love. Infatuation is the obsession, the flirtation, and lust. Sometimes a precursor to love, but it's a phase.

I like thinking about tons of things, and "Love" is a thing thats on the tongue of a lot of persons. How many confuse feelings for love.. Well, where do i start? Why everyone use the word "Love"? 1. Considering the middle age of the members of this site, it's nearly impossible that everyone has experienced "Love"(As it is described in the sacred text you quote.). It's like a mistake, but by unknoledge(Referencing the book, Where there is knowledge, it will pass away. Does it mean that all who knows "Love" cant explain it anyway?). 2. We are in different states. For my record i'm in France, a laic state where there is no Christian education if not wanted by the parents. So many of us don't know Corinthians(Or just by name). So people like "me" don't know what is love because we don't had read this? Or maybe we have and use the word in it's proper place withoutknowing it, wich can be possible. 3.Education: From the kindergarten, kids are taught that everything good done from a Man to another "can" be "love". That the feeling of loss when you mother go away to work when leaving you to the teacher, that feeling that will make you happy when she'l return is done by "Love". If i reason from what Corinthians 13:4 tell us, It's not due to love, cause there envy, cause there is self-seeking, cause could keep record of wrong. 4.Language evolution: Our different languages comes from long long ago. Long before Corinthians and Christianism comes to us all. If you take the old Latin language for example: "Amor", wich is the root of the word "Amour" in French that translate to "Love" in English. The word can be interpreted into multiple way, wich can go from the "Love" that we use in terms of feeling, to "Passion", to "attachement", to even "The person you Love"(As in physically,feelings and caring). In standard English, "Love"(Described by a vulgar laic dictionary) can be the "Emotion", the "Romantic feelings", the "Affection of a person for another", a form more accentuated of "Like". In this regards, they're talking right about "Love"(Cause it's not the Corinthians idea of love, but the version that as been modified by several years of evolution). 5.The evolution of society: This one is a bit particular. Society as you know is splitted within itself in severals codes and norms. Thats likelly why all americans don't talk the same, even in the same country, same village, and so on. Based on this fact, each country has its way of talking and employing this or that term instead of another, each person as well. For just an example on what can cause a man or a women to use "Love" instead of "Feelings" is comprehension. Some people wont instantly recognize the group of word "I have feelings for you" as "I love you", sometimes because of the way it has been adressed, the moment, well, a lot of factors are in line here. 6.Internet: Internet is a flat medium where emotions, when not properly represented by the autor of the message, can be misunderstood. Using "Love" instead of a picture, a dozens of smiley and a video can be more effective. 7.Unknowledge 2: No one can explain what is really "Love", no scientist, no religious people, no sociologist or anyone who will study it will ever discover what it really is. So in a manner, it sticks with the beautiful Corinthians text (Where there is knowledge, it will pass away.). All of this for one thing, if you want that only people who feel really "Love" to use that term, no one will ever do... 8.My favorite: From time to time, "Love" joined the lot of words that is in the collective immagination of all Humanity. In this state, it has many description, and no one is the same. So the Corinthians notion of "Love" is fucked up among the others and you'l have to deal with it. Infatuation? Infatuation is due to a specific type of couple or relation. Do you consider that a people in a "Love triangle" are all infatued because they just want their own good and that probably their love interrest could be happy with them? Don't they really feel something very similar to "Love" that it's nearly impossible, if they were only two, to say that the person is indeed in love? So love can only be altruist? Logicaly if you think about it, how could someone claim that they "Love" if it's include, it's not for me, not even a little? The reason people forms couple, be married and raise child is because they can feel good afterward. If there where no counterpart to be in a couple, why would society exist in the first place(Humans are animals, so they could lived and reproduce just by the chemical reaction of pheromones.)? Infatuation should be reserved for when it's "Only" in your own interest, much like obsession, or deviant. But again, that reinforce the need for people in here to talk about "Love" and not "infatuation". PS: In ancient english, the word infatuate was originally used to describe a one-way relation or when only one of the two potential "lovers" was "Impregnated by the desire to make someone be with him/her without the other noticing it.". So technically, someone could say to his friend he was infatuated with love to a girl, but if was to talk about it to the said girl, he had to say "I love you" or something that reveal his feelings.

Hadesu, I suppose I'm getting at a very particular kind of love. Yes, I'm going more in the direction of romantic love, but I believe it still can segue to a more sacrificial love. I understand there are MANY types of love. I don't understand how the Corinthians notion of love is fucked up. I think there may be a bit of a language barrier...Still, you type in english better than many who have it as their first language.XD

To me love is when you consider somebody an extension of yourself.You don't even hesitate to sacrifice if need be. The chemical reaction for lust is always temporary. It can last up to two years and if there is anything left after two years it's love.

@Yaasshat I've learned English by video games, films and school(Those two fist with subtitles and with time i just dropped them. I i'm doing the same with japanese, so I kinda know how to speak Jap already but can't read Kanji and Hiragana. Only Romaji.). There is a language Barrier but i had checked out the French version(Because it's a popular book, and this particular quote is abusively used in marriages.). For me, Corinthians notion is "fucked up" yeah, but "among the others", it's like a mess. Surely some will think like you that "Love" is an absolute thing that should be pure and desinterested. But with the actual society, it's nearly impossible for everyone so other definitions should be good for them. Corinthians notion is like the "Love" of faith(Lord, Savior, etc.),it means literraly putting aside all you have, all your other desires, all of you, and dedicate yourself onto one and unique person. It's more complicated than just marriage, it's like you "Love" someone so hard you probably want to serve him/her the rest of your life and want him/her to use you at his/her own will. So Corinthians text surely talks about one true "Love" for another, but the another is either obligated to be Infatuous or he'l have to manage his/her own feelings to make the two of them survive. Personally, i don't wanna hear description of "Love", cause i consider like it's a "kind of magic"(Yeah, what should never be tell in a serious talk has be done!! And by quoting QUEEN ^^.) that can't be explained, and those who know it will never get close enough with words or by showing to teach it to another (That's why i won't try to explain it, i tried to think about it in French yesterday, i dropped tired before i could make the fist sentence.). Chemical reaction is just like a catalyst when it comes to physical touch or desire, to make people less shy for a moment so they can act, or add tension to know that it's a important moment for the brain to record(And you know it has been well recorded, when at an exam you keep fucking thinking about it so it destroy your scholarity, Just Kidding..).

First, I said "spiritual belief aside". In other words, in this context context it does not strictly represent something of spiritual belief. Second, yes, I do think and believe love to be absolute. Love is about protecting and honoring something/someone that you hold as precious. Yes, in a sense you will serve them, but I believe in equality with balance. In other words, if it is not returned, there's no point in remaining with the person. Also, I'm no fool. I more than understand that no one can always hold true to a pure and faithful love like this. In a sense, love is impossible, but that's all the more reason to strive for it every day. As I said, that passage was not intended to be used in a spiritual sense, at least not in the context that I'm using it. Also, I'm well aware and fine with other definitions of love, but this is just my opinion. I'm also discounting the chemical side, as I know that is not love. Love is about what you do, not just how you feel.

Love is overrated....BROMANCE FTW!!!! https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ce/67/63/ce6763f034a10cb2c684f5097ddc2cc5.jpg Yeah sorry about that..lol *ehem* Everyone here has put it in their own way, but the main idea is the same: If you really want to call it love, your deeds have to prove it. Nobody's going to believe you love them, just because you feel that way and all you do is spout out idle stories, that you are not capable of making a reality. However....even if you do have the guts to back up your words, you should still be very very careful where you put all that time and effort. Love is not exactly something where you would use logic, but one can never be too cautious. Because there is this kind of people that won't give two damns about you, even if you saved their life 10 billion times, and there's always a chance you might fall for one of those (I really hope you won't). But if you do, learn to recognize it and get away from them immediately. It will both save you a heartbreak, and sometimes even your health. For example: I'm a very cold and detached person, and it's extremely difficult to really get my attention. But at the very least, I have the decency to warn people about this trait of mine before they get involved with me. Not everyone will do you this kind of favor. So play smart, or you'll end up picking a poison ivy instead of rose.

Cat, I'd rather some sort of an effort towards the topic at hand rather than "Just posting to post.". Surely you have your own ideas on what you think romantic love should be. As for infatuation...I'd find it hard to believe that anyone over a certain age has not felt that, but I suppose not everyone interprets things the same way. Hmmm... You can call infatuation a crush, it is basically the same thing.

Sorry.. I'll delete my post, Maybe I'll post here again once I know what to say exactly. I think I'd agree with verucassault in what ' Love 'is exactly. I'd put in some of my own thoughts but I just don't think I'm experienced enough in that subject, But I do believe that Veru's words sum up what I believe love to be exactly, which is what makes it completely different from infatuation.