Since alven ask, Lik khian answer. What is the difference between infatuation and love?

First up, definitions. My trusty www.dictionary.com defines infatuation as
1. A foolish, unreasoning, or extravagant passion or attraction. See Synonyms at love.
2. An object of extravagant, short-lived passion.

While Love is
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
3. sexual passion or desire.
4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.
5. (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?
6. a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.
7. sexual intercourse; copulation.
8. (initial capital letter) a personification of sexual affection, as Eros or Cupid.
9. affectionate concern for the well-being of others: the love of one's neighbor.
10. strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: her love of books.
11. the object or thing so liked: The theater was her great love.
12. the benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.
13. Chiefly Tennis. a score of zero; nothing.
14. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter L. –verb (used with object)
15. to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her.
16. to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).
17. to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.
18. to need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight.
19. to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.
20. to have sexual intercourse with.
Freaking long.

Well, all these definitions are good and proper when discussing literal meanings of infatuation and love. In this contex, the difference is quite obvious. Infatuation is simply stupid love. But of course we don't discuss such trifling issues here. We discuss big important issues that are impossible to pen down. Yet, this is exactly what I am going to do. People are willing to fight and die for love. But as they say, the pen is mightier than the sword (or in today's terms, the ergonomic keyboard is mightier than the particle-beam weapon). Thus shall I begin.

First up, lets change the question by putting it in context. I shall reframe it by stating, when I feel deeply attracted to someone, how do I tell if I love her, or if I am merely infatuated with her? And just so my argument is made simpler, I shall constrict love to mean only the hunka hunka mama mama type of love. Not the 'I LOVE MY MAZDA' kind.

Well my friends, there are several sides to this. First is the one that says that love and infatuation are one and the same. It is only used differently after the beginning of the relationship is over for in love, there is a beginning, middle and end, while in infatuation there is only a beginning and end. Therefore the difference lies in the middle. After all, when one feels the first pangs of adoration and attraction, it is easy to get confused over whether it is love or infatuation. And the answer is that it is one and the same. It is too early to tell. Both begins with and overwhelming desire for the object of your attraction. Popular thought is that in love, the feeling grows and develops for a certain length of time, which may or may not end up with you being attatched to that person, while in infatuation, the feeling dies off, leaving you wondering what exactly it was that you liked about that person. In this case, it would be impossible to know beforehand if what you experience was indeed love, or just a crush.

Infatuation can also be taught to be love at first sight. Because infatuation is defined as a foolish or unreasonable passion for someone, love can then be when you have found the reason to feel passion for someone. And because you now have a reason to motivate you to love someone, the relationship is hence more likely to last longer.

Ok, thats all for today. I'm fresh out of reitsu.