individuals fall in love with other individuals for a million different reasons. There is no single understanding of love or romantic attraction. There are many ways to understand this experience.
Your sentiments for one person can be different from your feelings for another individual. It’s not romantic attraction every single time but rest certain, your sensation is real and raw. Don’t doubt your feelings just because they aren’t always the same.
You don’t always want to be romantically involved with someone. You do feel romantic attraction, but not very often and not as often as anything else.
Dionne Eleanor, a mentor for relationships and empowerment, says
Romantic attraction isn’t always there; it’s a rare and special connection that happens when the perfect person comes along and makes your heart race and your spirit soar.
Read more: How to Find a Life Partner Online: 9 Dating Tips That Work
It shouldn’t sound unusual to you because there are attractions that aren’t romantic. You will learn about several sorts of romantic attraction if you move beyond the basics.
What does it mean to be romantically attracted?
What does it mean to be romantically attracted to someone? When you look at this person and your heart beats faster, you will know if you have romantic feelings for them.
It’s because you feel emotionally attracted to them instead of physically attracted to them. You love this person and want to chat to them and spend time with them. You feel safe around them.
Your affections for this individual get stronger the more you get to know them. This is where a relationship would grow if they felt the same way.
Dionne Eleanor goes on to say,
Attraction usually goes beyond just wanting to be with someone physically; it is the strong desire to get to know them, enjoy their company, and want to make memories together.
Ten indicators that someone is romantically interested in you
There are a lot of things that make up romance, and it’s a complicated topic. So, what does romantic attraction feel like? It can feel like you just got a new pair of wings and can fly as high as you want.
So, what does romantic attraction feel like? Here are some important signals of love interest that you can’t ignore.
1. Getting red
Romantic attraction is a strong feeling that comes from inside you and is based on your soul. When we talk about romantic vs. sexual attraction, they are really different since sexual attraction doesn’t have to do with your soul or inner issues.
When you grin and flush after thinking about your sweetheart, it’s because you’re romantically attracted to them.
If somebody is saying the name of your special someone, it makes you shy, then you are romantically attracted towards that special somebody. If your cheeks turn rosy, your eyes narrow, and your lips split up, it means you’re attracted to someone romantically.
Read more: 11 Proven Techniques to Get a Guy to Like You
2. Looking at the floor or the roof
People who are romantically interested in someone often avoid eye contact because they are timid.
Some people don’t want to make direct eye contact because they think they may become lost in their lover’s gaze.
Or else, they are afraid that they won’t be able to disguise their feelings if they gaze into their crush’s eyes, so they strive to avoid eye contact as much as possible.
3. Putting a hand on top of yours
Some people put their hand on top of the other person’s hand to show that they trust them. People do this all the time when they’re talking, and it’s also an indication of love interest.
It also instills trust and faith between the two persons. If you do this for someone, you can feel romantic feelings for them.
Dionne Eleanor comments,
Small actions, like laying a hand over theirs, can convey volumes about your feelings. This is a quiet but strong way to convey, “I’m here, and I care about you.”
4. Kiss on the forehead
A kiss on the forehead is a harmless indication of affection, admiration, and romantic interest. There is a difference between romantic attraction and physical attraction.
When you feel sexually attracted to someone, you want to kiss them all over. But when you feel romantically drawn to someone, you kiss them on the forehead more often.
5. Long, deep looks
It would seem like an endless journey to look into his eyes, and you would love it without expecting it to end.
When you feel like you’re lost in this person’s eyes, your heart skips a beat and you’re drawn to them. Then, you could choose to think about it as a sign of attraction.
6. When hours seem like seconds
When you’re working or doing chores, seconds seem like days, right? But when you’re with the person you love, time seems to fly by.
One major difference between romantic and sexual attraction is that when you are passionately attracted to someone, you are not limited by time.
Dionne Eleanor says,
When you’re with someone you’re passionately interested in, time seems different and maybe even unimportant. It feels like every minute is falling apart and going by faster than it should.
A young couple having fun together
7. You care about what they think and believe
It’s more common than you think for some people to ignore what their partner thinks. These people don’t care about what their spouse thinks or believes, and they don’t listen to them.
If you want to talk about their beliefs and opinions and feel open to it, that’s one sign of attraction.
When you care about what that specific person thinks, it shows that you appreciate them. You show that you care about them and regard them as a person, not simply as a partner, by listening to what they have to say.
One of the subtle symptoms of attraction is that you take every bit of information to heart.
You suddenly find yourself listening to someone else’s point of view, and you’re glad about it. We don’t know what else may be a romantic attraction.
8. You want to be close to them in a non-sexual way. “How do I know if I like someone romantically?” “Maybe we’re just really good friends.”
Wanting to be close to someone in a non-sexual way is one sign that you have romantic feelings for them. You still want to be sexually close to them, but it’s more than that.
You can lie down with them and speak about life, your aspirations, and perhaps your future together. You can spend the whole day outside having fun without thinking about sex.
You look at this person and just want to grin and hold hands. You know in your heart that you are happy, complete, and content.
That’s how you know you’re feeling romantic attraction, and it’s one of the most beautiful feelings and things that you could do.
9. You’re attracted to their personality
Our minds are wired to fall in love. That’s how romantic attraction works in the mind.
You can tell the difference between romantic and sexual attraction when you like someone because of how they think.
It’s one of the signals that a man is romantically interested in a woman he thinks he has found the one.
For some people, attraction means being physically beautiful, but when you are romantically attracted to someone, it means more than that. It’s about having long talks and feeling close to someone.
10. You feel whole
The people we choose to be around help us live better lives. But if you’ve seen signs that a man or woman is interested in you romantically, you know that life could be better.
“How do you know if you really love someone and if it’s real?”
When you like someone romantically, you feel whole all of a sudden. You feel happy, satisfied, and safe on a whole new level. That’s how you can tell if you love someone.
It’s no surprise that individuals call their romantic partners “soulmates” since that’s how it feels.
Dionne Eleanor shares,
Feeling complete with someone doesn’t mean losing yourself; it means finding a mate that compliments your essence and shares your goal for life.
These are some of the signs that indicate that you are harboring romantic feelings for a person.
How is romantic attraction different from friendship?
We want to go further now that you know what causes romantic attraction and what to look for. We want to know the difference between romantic attraction and friendship.
What is romantic attraction, and how is it different from being best friends?
It’s easy to mix up friendship and romantic interest. After all, both of these sensations make us joyful and whole, and they are based on respect.
So what’s the difference?
1. Romantic love is exciting, while friendship is calm.
When you’re with your pals, the love that you share is comfortable. You spend time together, laugh, eat, and bond. You enjoy being with them and can even picture yourself growing old with them, but they’re only pals.
When you’re romantically attracted to someone, you get a distinct kind of exhilaration. The love you feel is exciting, which makes you both feel emotionally drawn to each other. You can’t get enough of being together, yet the experience is completely different.
2. Romantic desire wants to move forward, while friendship is all about accepting each other.
You and your pals love each other that you embrace them as a whole, and you encourage them in their aspirations. You help each other and understand if they aren’t ready yet.
If a woman wants you both to grow or mature together, that’s an indication that she’s interested in you. You love your spouse completely, but you also have objectives, and you will help each other reach them. That’s part of a romantic attraction that is rising.
What if the person you love isn’t really grown up?
Ana, a psychologist-in-training, talks about the four indicators of immaturity and how to grow up.
3. Love should be exclusive, but friendship can be shared.
You share your love with your friends. When you have more friends, your friendship grows. It’s such a nice feeling when your friendship is full of love and trust.
What is romantic attraction but a method to say that you love someone and only them? Romantic love can’t be shared since you only have eyes for one person, the person you love and want to spend your whole life with.
4. Romantic love seeks to last for a lifetime, whereas friendship could last the test of time
Usually, when you have a best buddy, you would last the test of time. Friendship can last a lifetime, from playing in your backyard to raising your kids together.
You want to spend the rest of your life with “the one” when you find them. That’s why people want romantic love to continue forever. To do this, you need to work together, understand each other, and never allow your love and respect evaporate.
5. Romantic love needs limits, but friendship is always there for you.
Friends love each other no matter what. You can talk about your problems and move on if you don’t understand each other. You might not see each other for weeks, months, or even years, but that won’t affect anything. You will always love each other.
Of course, there will be boundaries when you’re in a love relationship. That’s just how relationships work.
There will be times when your love, trust, and respect will be put to the test. To fix things, you need to talk to each other and find a middle ground. There should also be boundaries to keep problems from happening.
Kiss on the head
What if romantic interest goes wrong?
It’s not always easy to feel romantic attraction. There are instances when you are in a circumstance that is not good for you.
It happens a lot that you fall for the wrong person, and by the time you realize it was a mistake, it can be too late.
Some people might wonder, “What goes wrong with love?”
When romantic attraction goes wrong,
You love someone who is already in a relationship or isn’t available.
The person you like doesn’t like you back
You’re both in a relationship or taken, but you’re falling for each other.
You still have feelings for your ex-spouse or partner
What can you do when you confront these situations? How do you deal with wanting to be with someone who doesn’t want to be with you?
These five steps can help you get better:
1. Figure out what’s going on and how to fix it
You need to confront the truth and realize that you will have to find a way out. Even if you really like someone, there will be times when it won’t work out.
That doesn’t mean your life is over; it just means you fell in love with the wrong person. The next stage is to figure out how to move on.
2. Feel the emotions and trust the process
It’s normal to feel hurt. After all, it hurts a lot to experience romantic desire for someone and then realize it won’t work.
Feel the emotions, but don’t dwell too long. Have faith that everything will be okay, but it will take time and work.
3. Get advice from a professional
There will be times when you are emotionally drained and hurt and feel like you need more help. It’s okay to see a therapist if you need to.
These qualified people will listen to you and help you with what you’re going through.
4. Take something away from the experience
It takes time to heal. So take that time for yourself. We all require mending at some point in our lives, so don’t assume you’ve failed in love or life.
5. Go ahead
You will soon be able to look back and see why it didn’t work out. After that, you can finally move on and be ready to feel that romantic attraction again.
Don’t let a love attraction that went wrong undermine your hope that you’ll meet the right person to be with one day.
Takeaway
Having romantic feelings for a person is intoxicating and divine at the same time, it’s fantastic.
You don’t have to be afraid of feeling this way. Be brave and accept the danger. Let the other person know that you are romantically interested in them; you never know, they might feel the same way.
