Have you been crushing on someone but wondering if it is becoming something more?
Emotions can be messy and hard to decipher when all we hear is loud heartbeats or feel giant butterflies in our stomach.
The upside is, as we grow older we gain more relationship experience and the answer becomes more clearer. Here are five (5) differences between crushing on and falling in love with someone.
1. A CRUSH DEVELOPS FAST, WHILE LOVE GROWS OVER TIME
When you first develop a crush on someone it can feel fun, flirty and exciting. It’s a lot like dancing in the flame but it doesn’t last forever.
Love, on the other hand takes time to grow; it demands patience, understanding and hard work.
2. A CRUSH FORMS FROM THE BASICS, WHILE LOVE THRIVES FROM DEEP CONNECTIONS
Have you ever liked someone because they share the same interest as you? A Crush forms from basic information like that – maybe the two of you have the same favourite colour or you can quote an entire movie together from beginning to end.
But that is not necessarily love. Love isn’t afraid to dive in the drep; it asks us to be vulnerable and go past the small talks, hobbies and Picture Perfect moments.
3. A CRUSH MIGHT FEEL INSECURE WHILE LOVE STEMS FROM TRUST
Crushing on someone can make you feel insecure when you compare yourself to others but love is built on the foundation of trust.
When you love someone, you feel at ease with them – you are neither possessive or jealous.
Love teaches us to let go of our fears, while crushing on someone allows them to linger.
4. A CRUSH FEELS NEW WHILE LOVE FEELS FAMILIAR
When you crush on someone, it often feels fresh and young but as you get to know someone better; love forms; making you enter rooms that feels familiar. It’s like being with your best friend, someone who knows you inside and out – perhaps better as you may know yourself. When you are crushing on someone, you are too shy to even make it pass the Welcome mat.
5. A CRUSH IS RECKLESS, WHILE LOVE IS MATURE
Ever had a crush on someone that made you scratch your head years later? Crushes can be confusing, reckless and inconsistent.
Love isn’t so easily discarded though. When Love Begins so does maturity; you learn how to be vulnerable, how to compromise and how to grow with someone. It’s more than just a feeling but in life changing experience.