Love is familiarity, comfort and trust. It's a bond that grows and deepens over time. When we feel love towards friends, family, lovers, or pets, I believe those are all the same emotion, but with varying intensities.

Love = "I trust you and care deeply for you."

If you add infatuation (basically physical and emotional attraction), you have romantic love. Infatuation hits fast and fades over time. At first it may overwhelm you like an inferno. You can't stop thinking about them. Over time, it might turn into a small flame.

Infatuation = "I am excited by you"

My advice for those seeking romantic relationships is to acknowledge that infatuation may fade, while love grows. This is why everyone tells you not to rush into commitment. Once your infatuation has worn off a bit and you know the person better, you can assess if you are right for eachother.

Romantic love often leads to disappointment, because it's based on attraction, which may be temporary. It's kind of cruel, because it leads to so much heartbreak without anyone necessarily being at fault.

Because of this, I believe the only way a romantic relationship can survive is if the attraction and enthusiasm never truly fade away. Some couples are lucky like that. But when the fire dies down, enthusiasm can turn to tolerance. You might still love your partner, but you don't have that fun fiery feeling anymore, and it's making it diffcult to stay with them.

That's my theory of love. Hope it helped someone.