Differences between Love and Infatuation

Infatuation vs Love

Love and Infatuation are both intense emotions that one feels for another person. These feelings are most often confused for each other by many people. But the two feelings differ in their actuality of love, intensity and final outcome.

Infatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoning passion or love; addictive love. Infatuation usually occurs at the beginning of relationship when sexual attraction is central. Love can be described as feeling of intense affection for another person. It is most often talked about as an emotion between two persons. Hence is also sometimes referred to as interpersonal love. 

Comparison chart

Improve this chart	Infatuation	Love
Definition:	Infatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoning desire.	A decision to commit oneself to another and to work through conflicts instead of giving up. A deeper understanding or care.
Associated with:	Selfish uncontrollable desire	Decision to devote yourself to another person for better or worse.
Sub-Categories:	Physical desire, crush, or lust , hormonal activity, addictive chemical reactions in the brain	Intimacy, commitment, security.
Symptoms:	urgency, intensity, sexual desire, anxiety, high risk choices, reckless abandonment of what was once valued	Faithfulness, confidence. Willingness to make sacrifices for another. Working at settling differences. Able to compromise so that either both win or at least give the other person's opinion a chance.
Feels like:	All consuming euphoria similar to recreational drug use (addictive chemical reactions in the brain), stupidity (cupidity). Can risk everything for the next hit of adrenalin.	A deep affection; contentment, confidence.Partners communicate and negotiate appropriate expectations.. requires a lot of selflessness and polite assertiveness.
Person to Person:	reckless commitment to satisfy one's all consuming lust	Commitment to another.
Effect:	being controlled by brain chemistry; loss of ability to make rational evaluations of what is true, valuable and worthy of pursuit	Steadfast decision to commit yourself to another person.
Result:	Emptiness, consequences of choices made while under the influence of mind numbing lust;	Security, peace, a solid partnership which can provide the ideal atmosphere to raise confident  secure children; a more stable society; radical decrease in the need for welfare, jails, lawyers and mental health counselors.
Interdependency:	Cannot be sustained without some portion of love and physical attraction, always desire to be close to that person at any cost.	Partnership.
Time Period:	Takes off fast and furious like a spark in dry grass burns out quickly and can leave feelings of emptiness.	long term offering companionship and support.

references:
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Infatuation_vs_Love