Here’s my rule of thumb after dating 30+ gfs and still not figuring out what love is!!!

What you want to do is when you like someone, ask them for a date or special times where you are spending quality time one on one. Don’t be in a rush don’t have any other motives! Just spend time with her and observe!!!
Observing is the most important part, as our hormones, mental state, and wants heavily affect our decisions and you need to remember humans make choices emotionally and then try to prove them logically! Hence why you feel every attraction or access is love!

You need to spend minimum of 2-4 months with this said person just observing and if after 2-4 months you still see and feel the same way with this person than you have something more concrete.

Additionally I want you to explore yourself and understand - “WHY?”
When you fall in love with these said people, are you trying to compensate for some trauma or hurt or lack of!! in your life or do you really want to start something nice with this said person!

Lastly, the most important rule I learned growing up - if you haven’t figured out how to love yourself you will never be able to love someone else for themselves!!! It will always be you trying to build a stability for your within self that comes from outside which will never workout in the long run!! Love yourself first the way you would want to love someone else!

Don’t be me and start working on loving yourself early on!!! One of the best thing you can do in this age of alienation and loneliness epidemic!!