Crush, lust, admiration or merely respect. Love can mean different things to different people. The filial love you feel for your family is very different from the passionate, Eros-Greek-god of love feelings you have for your mate. You can love your friends, but that sort of platonic affection is much different from what you feel for your boyfriend of girlfriend.

How can you determine that what you feel is love and not something else, like sexual attraction? Does true love only come around once, or can it happen many times throughout one’s life? Is there really such a thing like love at first sight, or you can only fall in love with someone you’ve known for a long time? There are million questions to answer, so let’s get started.

The Difference Between a Crush and True Love

Crushes usually occur when you first meet someone and feel a special connection. Most are based on sexual chemistry and are accompanied by a rapid hearbeat, undivided attention, and for an unfortunate few, drooling. A crush has more to do with lust and infatuation that with enduring love. It could stem from both a physical and a mental attraction.

The main difference between crushes and love is that crushes often happen when there is little chances of forming a relationship and usually goes away after some time. But sometimes the strongest variety of crushes occur when the people is not completely outside one’s reach. These can closely resemble love, and if your feelings don’t fizzle after you’ve snagged the object of your crush, it can lead to love.

Is is Possible to Fall in Love with a Stranger?

Yes, it possible. But whether you can have a relationship is another matter altogether. Usually, this type of love involves a fantasy. The person who falls in love project his or her feelings and ideas of happiness onto the love interest. And since fantasy can often be as strong as any true-life situation, love in these scenarios is not out of the question. Often, the person will immersed itself into a fairy like tales with all the wonderful things that going to happen. But be careful. Should the person you meet, turned out to be very different from the person you have expected, don’t blame yourself for trying. You opened your heart, and it takes a brave person to do that. But sometimes, people tends to become obsessive and stalked their target. So do know when to step back into the reality.

Is There Really a Thing as Love at First Sight?

Some people are true believers in this philosophy. These are usually the ones whose love at first sight let to a happy and satisfying relationship. Others, who felt this connection only to be let down as soon as the introduction is made, believe that love at first sight is nothing short of lust at first sight. Don’t be quick to dismiss your feelings as fleeting when you spot a person across a crowded place and you feel a rush of emotions. When someone falls in love at first sight, it’s usually an indication that the love interest has evoked some pleasant memory from the past. Maybe they remind you of first love or even someone you used to love from afar. Many couples who have fallen in love at first sight have gone on to live happily ever after. So the lesson is you never know when Cupid’s arrow will strike gold, so go with it and enjoy the ride.

Can You Love Someone Much Older or Younger Than You?

Often we cannot control with who we fall in love with. But if the person you love is not legally ready to receive your advances, the only advice is to write “good things come to those who patiently wait” one thousand times, and look for love elsewhere. Provided you’re both legal, there’s no reason why love can’t unite two people of very different ages. Whether or not your relationship could withstand the criticism of others is something time will tell. If you’re confident and true about your feelings, the opinions of others should not play a significant factor in the relationship. Sometimes it hards to overcome such feelings, but take it as a challenge that both of you decided to win.