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A lot of people don't know the difference between the two. In fact, I probably don't know the difference 100% but I'll try to differentiate between the two for you.
Infatuation is, as many people would call it: "puppy love". Infatuation is the obsession of someone. When you're infatuated with someone, you can't stop thinking about them and want to be with them 24/7. When you see them or hear their name, you get butterflies in your stomach. Somehow you act differently around them because you're scared you'll do or say something stupid that will make them think differently of you. We've all been there before. In a relationship, infatuation exists in the stages of "The Chase" and "Honeymoon" (from The Relationship Cycle). The feeling of infatuation typically doesn't last that long but the feeling is intense. So is being infatuation bad? No, of course not, perfectly normal and natural to feel infatuated with someone. But, be careful though, because when you're infatuated, your rational judgement is blocked out by your attraction and desire for the other person.
Love, on the other hand, lasts much longer than infatuation. There is no fine definition of love because there are many different kinds of love. One thing is for certain though, love is never a feeling of obsession and it is mature. Don't get me wrong though, relationships can start out with the feeling of infatuation and eventually turn into love.
An example of infatuation is if a guy sees that a new, attractive girl exchange student just moved in his school, he gets butterflies and starts thinking of all the possible things that can happen between the exchange student and himself. He likes her because she is attractive (and new). But if (for reasons unknown), the exchange student gains 100 pounds the following week, the boy will (completely) lose interest. This is an example of infatuation. It is short-lived and not very secure.
An example of love is if a boy and a girl have been together for 2 years in a relationship and suddenly (for reasons unknown) the girl gains 100 pounds, he would still treat her no different than when she was 100 pounds skinnier. This is a terrible example so I'm going to use another one. Let's say the same couple were in a long distance relationship and the girl gets sick. They live 3 hours away from each other. The boy would go out of his way to drive all the way to her home to take care of her and stay by her side until she is well. This is love; ignoring your own needs to take care of the one you love, not because you have to but because you want to.
So sure, everybody loves the feeling of infatuation because it's so intense, passionate, and fun. But relationships are much more than just infatuation, because once the passion, the chase, and the honeymoon phase are over, only then will you start to experience the deep, mature, and unconditional feeling of love for each other.
P.S. Sorry that there is no picture in this note!
Disclaimer: This note was meant to explain the differences between infatuation and love. If any of the examples I used offended you, please do not take any offense in it as I did not mean any.
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