How to know if you are in love?

[Goku]

I know this question was probably asked before, but I still want to ask. I am a 16 year old male and I am wondering how to know if I am in love. I think I am, but I am worried I only feel that way because I am dating her and I am telling myself that I should love her. Also this is my first girlfriend and we have been dating for 3 months. I know no one can really answer this question but me, but I was wondering on how you tell.

[surfhb2]

No way to explain.....its different for everyone. I can say, as a 44 year old male, that I wasn't in love when I was 16 (even though I thought a I was). Probably not much help but Im giving you my perspective on teenage love

[TLe]

I was madly in love with a classmate when i was 15. I knew it was love feelings by a lot of things. Only hearing his name could make me have butterfly feeling, I liked to hear other friends mention his name. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him, and when I talked or faced him, I had that electric feeling. It was awesome feelings... I became the best student in school also partly because of him I wanted to be better in his eyes.

[searock]

Teenage love forum...

[Goku]

Teenage love forum...

Oh sorry about that. Can I move the thread or do I need a mod to do it?

[michelle23]

its fine. you dont have to move it.

theres a difference between love and infatuation. what your feeling now is prob infatuation. butterflies, nervous, anxious, really happy, a little obsessed with her, feeling warmy and fuzzy, cant keep your hands off her etc

its the early stages of love, the honeymoon phase. its ok to say i love you if you want in this stage. many people do.

you wont experience REAL love until youve been together for ages but your working towards it and its all good

[Goku]

its fine. you dont have to move it.

theres a difference between love and infatuation. what your feeling now is prob infatuation. butterflies, nervous, anxious, really happy, a little obsessed with her, feeling warmy and fuzzy, cant keep your hands off her etc

its the early stages of love, the honeymoon phase. its ok to say i love you if you want in this stage. many people do.

you wont experience REAL love until youve been together for ages but your working towards it and its all good

K thanks.I have actually only got that butterflies feeling once (I don't know why it was only once). I am feeling everything you listed except the butterflies and warm and fuzzy feeling, It does seem that girl generally seem to be more "in tune" with their feelings than guys are so maybe that why I'm not feeling those things or it might be I'm just not there yet. I think about her a lot. Oh also we haven't kissed yet (yeah I know its been 3 months and we haven't kissed) I thought I should mention that.

[SingleBilingual]

The first time I was infatuated with a girl was when I was 16. I never told her about it so she doesn't know. Come to think of it, I have never been in a long term relationship. What Michelle said was interesting.

[Goku]

So its a consensus its probably infatuation?

[searock]

So its a consensus its probably infatuation?

Given that you've only been together for 3 months, I agree with the others that for now, it's infatuation. Doesn't mean it can't turn into something deeper with time and patience and nurturing. Since you are both so young though, it's more likely that you will realize at some point that you two aren't really made for spending your life with each other, and you will part ways (almost all of us have been there). In any case, enjoy :-).

[Goku]

Given that you've only been together for 3 months, I agree with the others that for now, it's infatuation. Doesn't mean it can't turn into something deeper with time and patience and nurturing. Since you are both so young though, it's more likely that you will realize at some point that you two aren't really made for spending your life with each other, and you will part ways (almost all of us have been there). In any case, enjoy :-).

Yeah I know chances are we'll breakup, but you never know maybe we wont. Also like michelle23 said lots of people say they love each other at this stage, so I am wondering if I should (I would like to). The problem is I am worried about scaring her off, since she has never been in a serious relationship before (she dating one person in grade 5 and another in grade 6 and I don't think they lasted very long) Also I live in a rural area so she not always at my house, but we talk to each other at school every day and I normally hang out with her on the weekends. So in your opinions do you think it has been long enough.

[searock]

When I was younger (I'm 23 now), I couldn't wait for my crush to tell me he loved me. I think you should tell her, if that's how you feel. If she is scared away, it means it wasn't meant to be anyway. I suggest you kiss her soon before/after you tell her, though. Just to prove that you mean it... in a "not just friends" way. You don't want her to feel undesired. (I'm assuming she is 16 as well)

[stev123]

Nothing is sweet as teenage love, enjoy it while it lasts

[Goku]

When I was younger (I'm 23 now), I couldn't wait for my crush to tell me he loved me. I think you should tell her, if that's how you feel. If she is scared away, it means it wasn't meant to be anyway. I suggest you kiss her soon before/after you tell her, though. Just to prove that you mean it... in a "not just friends" way. You don't want her to feel undesired. (I'm assuming she is 16 as well)

Thanks everyone for you help so far. She is actually only 15 now. I have been trying to kiss her for a while now, but there hasn't been a good moment.

[okwhat2013]

The problem with love at 16 is lack of understanding from a lack of experience. Once you get older and more experiences with "love" you start to realize that a lot of times in the past you were not in love. Also, once you have children you really understand what love is, this person, your child, gives nothing to me, it just takes takes takes, stresses me out, cost so much money, yet I woul still jump in front of a bullet to save his/her life. Good news? If it doesn't work out, I can tell you that it is not the end of the world and you will like someone even more later in life. (there are exceptions but mostly likely the case.) Hell, hopefully it isn't your true love, because you really need go through a few relationships to learn how to be a good partner. If you met your soul mate at 16 you would probably screw it up and that would suck. Good luck