There’s a difference between being infatuated and being truly compatible with someone, and it’s difficult to spot when absolutely nothing about your situation makes sense. For example, if you’re one of 27 contestants on The Bachelor, a show without any basis in the reality of normal human dating whatsoever. Here’s how to tell if your love is real while competitively dating him on TV.
You Feel Bad About Yourself
Finding true love means feeling bad about yourself 90% of the time. When the hunk you don’t know but are trying to marry anyway makes out with a dental hygienist named Christine right in front of your face, how do you feel? Jealous? Insecure? Like you want to smash a bottle of Zinfandel and eat the glass? Congratulations! Your love is real. Aggressively pursue it at all costs no matter how many times you get blown off for a different, bikini-clad dental hygienist.
You Win Challenges to Earn Time With Him
When you want to see your guy, but he has all the power and you have none, try winning challenges to earn time with him. After all, true love never backs down! If he asks you to wear a bridesmaid dress and stand in the background as he poses for wedding photos with an ombré-haired chick from Kentucky, do it. You might think, “This is humiliating” at first, and you would be right. But if you’re willing to participate in the competition anyway so some white guy named Dan or Dron will reward you with a ring, well done! You’re probably in love, or something close.
You Can Talk Endlessly About Your Connection and Nothing Else
You know you’re in love with him when you can talk endlessly about your connection and nothing else. Other couples might talk about things like religion, politics or painful memories aside from just “dead dad,” but they’re wrong. If you can look into your man’s eyes and happily say nothing except, “I feel so connected to you right now and you’re so much yourself it makes me want to be more myself, if that makes sense?” for 12 hours on a loop, good going! You’ve definitely found The One. Now destroy whoever crosses your path to ensure he remains The One.
You Can Just Be Yourself
The right man will make you feel like you can just be yourself, because it’s important to be yourself. Because if you’re not yourself, you’re not being yourself and then how can you just be yourself? That’s why you should always be yourself. If you can be yourself with him, you’re in love with being yourself with him. That’s love!
He Gives You a Rose
If your guy gives you a rose, he cares enough about you to ensure you continue competing for him. That’s also love!
It’s not easy to tell if your love is fake or the real deal, especially not in the midst of a brutally unnatural dating show, but looking out for these signs can help. Go get him, girl!
