Whether you’re in a relationship already or whether you’re admiring someone from afar, sorting out your feelings can be a real challenge. While there’s no clear, fool-proof way to decipher your feelings for someone, there are certain ways to make the distinction clearer for yourself. Follow these tips to help yourself to know the difference between love, infatuation and lust.
Part 1: How to Recognize True Love
Examine whether you treat the object of your interest as a person or a thing. You care for this person even knowing his or her faults. You are committed to sticking together even through the most difficult circumstances. You can tell this person anything about yourself, even if the truth doesn’t flatter you, and you know that your partner will accept you.
Evaluate how secure you feel. You know that your partner will stand by you no matter what, and you are prepared to commit to your partner for the rest of your life.
Think about how long you’ve been in the relationship. You have known the person for a long time, and you can’t imagine life whitout him or her.
Observe how sex affects your feelings. After you have sex with your partner, you feel closer to him or her. For you, affection and post-coital cuddling are just as important as sex, although you love to keep the flame alive.
Analyze the way that you’re thinking about the other person. Something funny has happened to you at work, and you can’t wait to tell your partner. Alternatively, you’ve had a bad experience, and you want to talk to someone who will understand. If your partner is the first person that you think about when you want to share your innermost thoughts, then you may be in love.
Look at how you handle conflict. When you have an argument with your partner, you keep working until you’re able to find some common ground. No argument can erase your commitment to one another, and you appreciate your partner speaking the truth even when it’s painful.
Consider your feelings about moving the relationship forward. You feel comfortable with your partner, and you feel a strong bond of trust. Moving in together or getting married feels natural and logical
