Love is complicated. How do you know if you're in love? How can you tell if you're not sure you've ever been in love before? Often, we think that we are in love, but what we are really feeling is infatuation- or an intense short-lived passion that goes away over time. And while passion is great, it does not equate to love. It is important to understand the difference between love and infatuation so that when the time comes you can tell which relationships to invest in and which to let go.

Love is a deep emotional bond with another person. When you love someone you have respect for their opinions and choices regardless of if they align perfectly with yours. It is about seeing and recognizing your partner's flaws and accepting them for who they are, not who you want them to be. This can be challenging because, let's face it, we all think we know best sometimes. But to maintain love we must know when to step back and let the other person make their own mistakes; learning to watch them grow instead of make them grow.

Love comes with a sense of maturity, which is why so many high school relationships do not last. Before you can fall in love, you need to figure out who you are because when you are unsure of yourself- that's when love falls victim to infatuation. Once you've determined who you are on your own, you can begin to look for someone who matches your morals and is intellectually and emotionally compatible with you.

So many people think that love happens like it does in the movies- suddenly and all at once. But that is so far from the truth. Love isn't immediate, it comes gradually and naturally. Just like you can't force the pieces of a puzzle together, you can't force yourself to fall in love with someone, and if you do, you will never truly be happy.

Finally, Love is independence. It is a bond that brings incredible happiness, but does not impose on your right to be your own person. The right kind of love will make you a better person and will allow you to learn more about yourself that you ever thought possible.

Infatuation, on the other hand, is deceptive. It can feel totally and completely like love, and yet be so far from it. Being infatuated with someone comes with the expectation of perfection in everything they say or do. It's when you put someone so high up on a pedestal that reality will never be able to catch up, and ultimately both parties will be disappointed.

Infatuation can be self-destructive in many ways, especially if it is paired with emotional dependence. When you put all your faith into one person and not in yourself, you lose your independence and ability to self-sustain which is a dangerous combination for your mental health and for the relationship.

Your feelings for someone may actually seem stronger when you are infatuated rather than in love because infatuation is a strong desire and can be very compelling, but the true test of infatuation is time. Desire does not last forever, love can.

So the next time you think you've "found the one" take a look at some of the signs before deciding you're in love. It just might save you a broken heart.