Everyone wants love. They want to know that someone will love them unconditionally and accept them as they are. They want someone who will be there forever. However, many people looking for the real thing fall for fake love instead.
Fake love feels like love at first. It’s exciting and comes with all the butterflies and breathless whispers. Yet, it isn’t real and never lasts. How do you know the difference?
There are 20 ways to distinguish real love from its counterfeit cousin:
- True love will sacrifice for others.
This is a true test of love because those who are in fake love will only have concerns for themselves. They want things to be “fair” and ensure they are getting something out of the relationship rather than how the other person’s needs are met. Ideally, if both are sacrificing for the other, then there won’t be a need to weigh the scales on who gives more.
- True love loves truth.
Those with real love can’t live with lies. Truth resolves insecurities and doubts. It builds trust. Fake love lives in lies where people say what they believe the other wants to hear.
- Kindness rules in true love.
Real love is overabundant in love and care. It implements generosity and is compassionate. Fake love will cut you and offer pain, even to those who don’t deserve it, because pain suits the purposes of those who are dishing it out.
- Real love is patient.
People who are really in love will overlook flaws and shortcomings. They give you multiple chances to change and will wait until you make that move. Those in fake love get angry quickly when you don’t meet their expectations or don’t conform to their standards. They will judge and punish you without hearing your side.
- True love has humility.
Those who know how to love don’t care who gets the credit. A person like this admits to their mistakes and seeks to lift others instead of putting themselves in the spotlight. Fake love is the opposite. Those people are proud, want all the attention they can get and grabs credit whenever possible, even if it means hurting someone they love. They will not accept blame either but will blame others for their mistakes.
- Real love is fulfilling.
Those who are really in love feel completed. They are happy where they are and enjoy every moment. Fake love wants more. It is always destination-oriented where you think you’ll be happy when something else happens when you get that new job, that new house, a child, retirement and all the rest.
- True love shows gratitude.
People who love feel blessed with what they have and don’t need anything else. It finds anything you give is a treasure, even if it is a small item. Fake love belittles you. You can’t give good enough gifts. People who are in fake love feel unlucky to be with you and are constantly feeling like others have more and better lives, which amounts to jealousy.
- Real love brings joy.
True love is positive and creates a cheerful heart. You are happy when others are happy. Fake love is bitter and negative. People who use fake love thinks life is unfair, they are the victim and hold grudges.
- True love respects.
Those who love you will show respect to you. That includes your decisions, opinions, hopes, and dreams. It seeks to honor you. Fake love doesn’t care about what you think because it is arrogant. You are inferior in this person’s eyes.
- Real love protects.
Those who live in true love seek to protect others from pain. It will shield you from things that will cause long-term pain. It protects the relationship from things that would hurt it. Fake love offers only false satisfaction and is temporary.
- Righteous dominates true love.
Those with true love have maturity and wisdom. It makes decisions and takes actions discreetly. Fake love acts foolishly. It’s narrow-minded and acts childishly. It is self-righteous and initiates reckless actions.
- True love gets you.
Those who truly love you get to know you as a person. It seeks out to know you better so that a person can love you more. It can connect with you without you saying anything because this person can feel your emotions and know what you’re thinking. Fake love doesn’t care about your feelings or thoughts and doesn’t care what is going on in your life.
- Trust comes with true love.
A person who loves you has confidence in you. That person trusts you will do the right thing and make good decisions. Those in a fake love relationship are negative about everything you do because they can’t trust you and don’t think you are capable of making good decisions.
- True love brings loyalty.
When you love someone, you are willing to make a strong commitment. You avoid temptations to cheat. Those involved in fake love will experience cheating.
- True love is faithful.
Those who love believe in you even with your weaknesses and failures. Fake love requires total assurance that you are dependable before someone like that will believe in you.
- There is hope in true love.
Those who love can see the future and you in it. They will fight for your relationship. Fake love isn’t permanent, so you aren’t important. They will easily give up on you.
- True love wants to enhance.
People who operate in real love always want what’s best for you. They fear letting you down and act out of passion, energy, and excitement. Those who work out of fake love are apathetic and tend to make excuses for not fulfilling obligations.
- True love takes care of itself.
Those who love others have already learned to love themselves. They take care of themselves in body, mind, and soul so they can be strong and healthy for a relationship with you. Those who have fake love don’t care about maintaining health. It can even be self-destructive.
- Real love grows.
Those in a true love relationship want to grow both personally and in the relationship. You want to be a better person because of it. Those who have fake love seek to argue and fight. It can’t settle things calmly and creates a toxic relationship.
- True love lasts.
True love will be forever. It can’t be destroyed even in distance or death. The stories of those who sacrifice for true love inspire people from generation to generation. Those who submit to fake love have relationships that are short-lived because it disappears when it can no longer get what it wants.
Knowing the difference between true love and fake love will, hopefully, help you find the real thing. True love is something worth waiting for and taking your time with after you meet someone special.