Try saying ‘falling in love’ with disdain, anger, or despair. You can’t. The very phrase is swoon-worthy, giving you butterflies in your stomach at the thought. Falling in love is very different from having a crush on another individual or getting infatuated. Poets, musicians, artists, and filmmakers alike have all tried their hardest to imitate the feeling in their works of art, but sometimes those representations can be misleading, because after all, they are very subjective.
In reality, how do you know you’re in love, and that this is not just some passing fancy? If you’re looking for some clarity on how you’re feeling, check out these 15 signs to confirm whether you are actually falling in love with this special someone.
Suggested read: 10 surprising ways love is different from lust
1. All your flirting and affections are directed to only one person
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When you are single you keep your options open, and when a potential someone comes along, you unleash the flirty beast in you. However, if you see your errant self becoming more grounded and one person becomes the center of all your attention and flirtations, then you’ve definitely got much more than just the hots for them.
2. You want to be with them all the time
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No, this is not ambiguous at all. Think about it – you are a social creature with a million contacts, and it is imperative that you hang out with most of them on a regular basis so that you don’t become socially isolated. However, when you are in love, the world takes a backseat and all you want to do is hang out with that one person all day, every day, without even thinking of other appointments and social gatherings.
3. You laugh and feel happy whenever you are with them
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You know you are with the right person when you drop all pretenses and laugh with abandon at the things they say and the inside jokes that you share. You don’t have to worry about being dignified and collected and composed all the time, and laughter comes easily to you when you are with them.
4. You still get butterflies when you see them
These proverbial, pesky creatures have a tendency to come back every time you meet the person you are in love with, or even when you see them coming towards you from a distance away. Their mere presence makes you adorably nervous (the good kind).
5. You still feel excited about the person even after the honeymoon phase
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The first few months in any relationship is known as the honeymoon phase, when you are obsessed with each other, you make goo-goo eyes at one another, and the world seems like a perfect place. After the initial love-haze fades out and couples start to get to know each other better, many cannot handle the sudden lack of romance, and end up splitting up. If you find yourself remaining as enamored by your partner as you were in the initial stages, then you are definitely on the path to true love.
Suggested read: 10 compelling reasons why you never get over the love of your life
6. You begin to love their idiosyncrasies and everything else about them
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Love is when physical and behavioral flaws cease to be flaws and become some of your favorite things about them. You start to love every part of them, whether it is their broken tooth, or the mole on their cheek, or the way they flip their hair when they are annoyed, or the way they scrunch up their nose when they are concentrating. You start noticing and loving all these small things about the person who is at the receiving end of your affections. And this is just one of the signs in the list titled how do you know you’re in love?
7. You start divulging your deepest secrets and thoughts to them
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It is impossible to not trust someone you love, although the reverse is sometimes possible. If you are wondering whether you’re in love, see how much you have started to trust the person. If you find yourself telling them your deepest, and even your darkest secrets, then it is definitely love, my friend.
8. You keep giving, without expecting anything in return
You might be a nice person in general, willing to help others out and all. But when you meet the person who has kindled this fire in your heart, you find yourself going to unimaginable lengths to make them happy and see them smile. You might have done that otherwise for anyone else, but the difference is you expect nothing from this special someone in return, because their smile and happiness is all that you need as a reward.
9. They are your first and last thought of the day
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When you find that they are the first thought in your head when you wake up in the morning, and you drift off thinking of nothing else but them at night, you can be rest assured that the love bug has chosen to bite you. In addition, they are also in your dreams and your thoughts at all times – not in a creepy way, but in an irrevocably-in-love way.
10. You look at life very differently
One of the most obvious ways to figure out whether you’re in love is to check your premises when it comes to your outlook on life and your future. Before you fell head over heels, your thoughts about all your decisions and actions centered around yourself, or your friends and family, tops. Now, you see the potential of a future with another individual, and not only do you plan that way, you even start to think that way unconsciously.
11. You start saving up money
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Now in any other context, saving money can mean anything. But when you are in love, you start saving up every last penny in order to take them out for a fancy dinner, or get presents for them. You save as much as you can for the sole purpose of spending it all on them, whether the plan actually materializes or not. If this isn’t love, I don’t know what is.
12. You stop worrying about “the other fish in the sea”
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Usually when people meet, they don’t worry too much about what is going to happen to the future of their relationship, because of the metaphorical, plentiful existence of “other fish in the sea.” If one doesn’t work out, there are plenty of other people out there. However, when you are falling in love, you stop thinking about what you might do if this doesn’t work out, and you see nothing beyond this one individual. There might be other fish, sure, but you feel like you have found your fish and that is more than enough for you.
Suggested read: Use the secret law of attraction for infinite wisdom of love
13. You care tremendously about their opinion of everything
In today’s world, people don’t have the time or the energy to care about what other people think, unless they are a very good friend or a family member. Sometimes even the opinions of close ones take a backseat when it comes to personal decisions. But falling in love means caring deeply about their opinions in everything you do. Not only do you patiently hear out what they say, but you also consider following it. Only true love can bring about such dramatic changes.
14. You put their needs above yours
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This is something that does not come very easily to even the most selfless people. If compromises and sacrifices for this one individual have become a non-issue for you, then Cupid has done his duty, and you are now irrevocably, selflessly, and completely in love. Their needs come before yours and you are willing to do anything to make them happy.
15. You boast about your love freely
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When you want to shout the news from the rooftops, then you can consider yourself successfully in love. You are ready to commit to this person completely, and you have no problem letting the world find out because you know your feelings are not going to change anytime soon.
With these signs you can’t go wrong but be sure, when someone asks you, how do you know you’re in love, eh?
Featured image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
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