Do you buy this?

Is There Such a Thing As Love at First Sight?
By James C. Dobson, Ph.D


Q: Do you believe in love at first sight?
A: No way! Love at first sight is a physical and emotional impossibility.
Why? Because, as I've indicated before, love is much more than a romantic feeling. It is more than a sexual attraction, or the thrill of the chase, or a desire to marry someone. These are responses that can occur "at first sight," and they might even lead to the genuine thing in time. But those feelings are usually very temporary, and they do not mean the person who experiences them is "in love." I wish everyone understood that fact!
The primary difference between romantic excitement and real love is where the emphasis lies. Infatuation tends to be very selfish in nature. A person may say, "I can't believe what is happening to me. This is the most fantastic thing I've ever experienced! I must be in love."
Notice that he's not talking about the other person. He's excited about his own gratification. Such an individual hasn't fallen in love with someone else; he has fallen in love with love!
Genuine love, by contrast, is an expression of the deepest appreciation for another human being. It is an awareness of his or her needs and strengths and character. It shares the longings, hopes and dreams of that other person. It is unselfish, giving and caring. And believe me, these are not attitudes someone just "falls into," like you were tumbling into a ditch.
I have developed that kind of lifelong love for my wife, but it wasn't something I fell into. I grew into it through the years. I had to know her thoroughly before I could appreciate the depth of her character and the nuances of her personality, which I now cherish. The familiarity from which love has grown simply could not have occurred on "some enchanted evening," across a crowded room.
Again, you can't "fall in love" with an unknown object, regardless of how pretty, handsome or sexy it is.


Well well!