We cannot see whether what we are feeling for someone is desire or infatuation while we find it easy to identify these feelings when it comes to our friends.
Everything is blind, both infatuation and desire. When it comes to desire we even become blind to signs and pretend not to see anything
Infatuation usually turns into an emotional attachment which is a deep feeling of affection towards the other individual.
Desire, however, is all about being attracted to someone physically which later leads to sexual attraction.
Some individuals call desire the first stage of infatuation although it can develop and become love.
Below are essential things that differentiate infatuation from desire if you are not sure whether what other individuals feel for you is just love or sexual desire:
- Spending the whole night talking
A stimulating conversation won’t keep two people who are deeply in lust awake although they can be awake all night having fun with each other. There is an interest between two individuals who are in love. Both their mind and bodies get to be interested in each other. They discuss different topics and not dwell on one only.
- Feel like cuddling and taking breakfast together.
Although lusting at the person you love is normal, cuddling and just wanting to stay around them is the best feeling ever. You’ll always be anxious about seeing them and taking breakfast with them.
- You think about them every time
Desire can also make you think about someone, although just the psychical aspects and features of your relationship.
Infatuation, on the other hand, is different from desire. When you are in love you’ll keep thinking about the other individual and the characters you have in common. You won’t be able to get the other person off your mind; you’ll keep daydreaming about them.
It is important to note those in love usually get flashbacks too about psychical aspects but they don’t pay much attention to those unlike those in lust.
- You desire to meet the important people in their lives
Those in sexual desire don’t always feel the need to meet each other’s family or friends. this is different from those in love who will always feel the urge of meeting each other’s friends and family just to understand and know each other better, from the people they both surround themselves with to the people they interact with. Such that if they have a problem then the family can help them solve their problems.
You’ll always feel like having a good relationship with these people too if what you’re feeling for them another person is love. To reciprocate, introducing them to your family and friends will be the best feeling ever as you’ll be anxious about them meeting your new partner and just adore them the way you do.
- You are aware of their imperfections
At times we forget that nobody’s perfect. When you have Sexual desire towards someone you don’t view them the way they are but just have an ideal image of them. When in new relationships we just present an ideal version of ourselves but as we progress with our relationships we start portraying our true colors then people get to know who we really are.
This kind of feeling will end your relationship instantly and hinder it from blossoming into true love. If you truly have an infatuation for someone then you’ll love them despite their flaws. you become conscious of the fact that they are not perfect.
- It takes time
Sexual desire can be experienced at first sight. This is always confused with love mostly when there is no progress in the relationship.
Love takes time and just don’t appear in a snap. You have to spend time with a person and get to know them better if you want to love them.
- It’s all about science
How we behave when in love or encountering desire is as a result of what’s going on in our brains. Research shows that different parts of the brain known as striatum are activated when we encounter sexual desire and infatuation. Things we gain pleasure instantly from such as food and sex is the area connected to desire while infatuation connects to another area where there is an emotional attachment.
The reason as to why you don’t fall in love immediately is because sexual desires are consistently rewarded with emotional feelings therefore during this process our emotions move from one area of the striatum to another.
Love is growth, therefore, it is developed when our lust is rewarded.
