Infatuation

The Oxford Dictionary

Definition of infatuation in English:. (n.d.). Retrieved March, 2016, from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/infatuation

I agree and disagree with this definition because I believe that it is an intense passion or admiration for someone or something but I disagree with how it is a short-lived emotion. This reason why I disagree with it is because of the movies I have seen, for example, in movies like Prom Night starring Brittany Snow show that the infatuated person has been infatuated for a long time. In addition to that, throughout our lives and what society shows us that whether it’s the news or a friend who may know someone I like, the synonyms assigned to infatuation makes me feel that they all totally described the word because infatuation is fixating, devoting, an addiction to someone or something and my opinion is based on the research that I have done so far and information that I have obtained. In the Oxford dictionary, the emotion of love has to be passionate, however, according to urban dictionary, the emotion is lustful or a soft emotion like ‘liking someone’.

Urban Dictionary

Infatuation. (n.d.). Retrieved March, 2016, from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=infatuation

This definition is from the urban dictionary and I think that this is a valid statement. I think that it’s a valid statement because I think that watching films, hearing stories on the news and listening to songs has backed up this definition, for example, Obsessed featuring Beyonce, the obsessor didn’t even know Idris Alba however, she took his nice nature as flirtatious behaviour because she had a deep lust for him and that is what she was selling to herself. Down below is an article from the NHS website talking about a woman who was infatuated, I think that was very beneficial to watch and read because the symptoms and feeling made me think more about what I want to do for my project but it has broadened my mind more because I gained new information/knowledge about what people go through in real life because I wouldn’t have thought that it could happen to someone in real life. I thought it was more fictional so it has made me less ignorant towards the topic.

Intropsych.com

The Ideal Friend | in Chapter 16: SFL | from Psychology: An Introduction by Russ Dewey. (n.d.). Retrieved March, 2016, from http://www.intropsych.com/ch16_sfl/infatuation.html

The difference between this definition of infatuation compared to the other ones is that intropsycho.com state that infatuation is a chemically induced state of emotion and this is not mentioned in the other definitions (Oxford Dictionary, Urban Dictionary and Diffen.com). Romeo and Juliet is a great example of love at first sight and infatuation along with Othello a long term relationship that turned into marriage, however, infatuation and manipulation brought their love to an end. Maybe I can incorporate this into my project through the development of my ideas, I feel that love can develop through long term friendship because I have experienced it myself, however, I wasn’t infatuated but I just loved him as my best friend with the added relationship privileges. So I agree that I have distinct from both friendship and long term love because infatuation is compulsive and according to the article linked to the guardian and Romeo and Juliet making you do un-rational things. I think that this piece of information (this definition) has been very helpful in the growth of understanding of the topic and makes me think about how far people are willing to go to get what they desire.

Diffen.com

Infatuation vs Love. (n.d.). Retrieved March, 2016, from http://www.diffen.com/difference/Infatuation_vs_Love

The definition provided by diffen.com is similar to the urban dictionary because they claim that infatuation is developed through thoughts whereas others say that it is based on the person’s feelings/emotions. I think that this website believes that infatuation is fast and maniac which I agree and disagree with because everyone is different so I think that the time period varies based on the person. I consider this to be an interesting website as a result of it showing me the difference between love and infatuation, providing me with the symptoms such as anxiety, urgency and reckless abandonment of what was once valued. Also, I like that it shows me the outcome of infatuated love which is emptiness and consequences of choices made while under the influence of mind numbing temporary lust. I find the differences interesting because I have witnessed couples who were lost without their partner if they are away for too long, so the question is, are they obsessed with their partner or is that just an intense feeling of deep affection? I agreed with their definition of infatuation however, I feel that the person has little bits of the intense feeling mentioned is intertwined as well. Many of these symptoms could be beneficial to the outcome of my project, I am thinking more creatively and deeply as to what my ideas will be.

Conclusion

Out of the definitions on Infatuation, Infatuation is induced through a reaction produced by a person’s body through sight or it can gradually develop over a long association or both. Furthermore, by defining infatuation; people can recognise the symptoms and signs of infatuation from other emotions like love and passion. I have chosen to use these definitions to retrieve information on my chosen theme, ‘Infatuation’. With this knowledge, I will be able to generate ideas to progress further along with obtaining enough information to write a script and make a film.

The Guardian – Infatuated patients use Facebook to stalk doctors

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/oct/28/lovesick-patients-stalk-doctors-online

This article has made me think about the different ways I use infatuation through social media, I think that I could use this in my film I could use social media to portray infatuation. I could do a character who is infatuated with someone close to them like a friend or a someone who takes care of them, for instance, a doctor or nurse. There are many different ways I could use social media to my advantage using Facebook and the poking feature or perhaps asking to do inappropriate things that would make them feel uncomfortable. There are endless scenarios and possibilities.

NHS – Addicted to love

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/addiction/Pages/clarecatford.aspx

Clare Catford was dependent on love because she thought that it would take the emotional pain that she was feeling to go away. She was compensating and relying on one person because she thought they would solve all of her problems. I find it striking as well as intriguing how the man that she met through email made her feel powerful just because he ‘needed’ her and the feeling of being needed was like an addictive high like cocaine. I think that different people have their cheap thrills and it’s understandable that she would feel good about herself because someone is counting on you but, there’s always a downside to it. This woman’s story has really given me an insight on the stability and mindset of an infatuated individual which is good and it evokes sympathy. If my project can evoke the same emotion and create an impact on my audience at the same time then that would great.

She also talks about withdrawal symptoms for instance panic attacks and insomnia. The withdrawal symptoms could help my project immensely, maybe I could have a character who has to stop eating something but they love it too much that it consumes them. These withdrawal symptoms are devastating because she doesn’t take drugs as infatuation is her drug. I think that these situations are terrible but it could benefit my film and create awareness. I like that there’s a positive in this devastating story and that is the recovery process as she started the 12 steps to recovery, which made her realise why she was so dependent on them and how her faith is in GOD has been restored in conjunction with, going to love addiction meetings and apologising to the people she did wrong when she was in that infatuated state. I could structure my story from bad to good or from good to bad. This article has made me ponder about such things and has made me ask myself a few questions such as how I’m going to structure my story, what my story is going to be about and what kind of persona my character or the set of characters will have.

Conclusion

I have noticed that this theme can vary as a concept. In all the definitions above, a high level of emotional commitment has to be present towards someone or something. This emotion is love and I think looking up the definition has opened my eyes to things I didn’t know before and I think that this is good because I can move forward with my project. Also, I can produce a more accurate film.