Hopeless romantics are like four leaf clovers: they’re magical, rare and hidden among the ordinary. Hopeless romantics reach all cultures and corners of society — sometimes, you’ll find them lurking in even the least likely of places. Ever wonder if you yourself may walk as one of these mysterious, intellectual creatures? Here are 10 tell-tale signs you may, in fact, be a good old fashioned lover of love.
1. You find yourself creepily staring and smiling like an idiot whenever you see a happy couple in love.
It doesn’t matter who it is: whether it’s a young couple feeling out an awkward first date or an elderly couple sitting on a bench reflecting on an entire lifetime together, the thought of two people madly in love just makes you plain giddy. You not-so-subtly watch them interact: the way they look at each other, the way they move their bodies closer together. It’s your drug, and you may be so bad at hiding it that they may even notice. Some may think it’s creepy how infatuated you are with their relationship, but you aren’t paying any attention -- you’ll be too caught up in them being caught up in each other.
2. You’ll never understand how and why people do casual hookups.
The thought of being “just a one-time thing” or a simple “it was nothing” crushes your spirit and makes your heart sad. Being intimate with someone is all about the relationship and emotional connection for you -- the physical aspect is simply the means of communication by which you express your feelings and affection. You’ll work very slowly in your relationships and be hesitant to make that jump with someone, because your biggest fear is being “just another” in their relational history. Or even worse yet, being a meaningless interaction. The whole reason intimacy is so exciting to you is because it’s meant to be with a one-of-a-kind, special person; it’s meant to be with someone who gets you, cares about you and loves you. It’s sacred, and you’re willing to be patient until that person walks into your world -- you know it will be worth the wait.
3. Your favorite method of procrastination is daydreaming about romantic gestures and dramatic, unrealistic events.
Let’s face it, love just doesn’t happen the way it’s portrayed to in movies. But this is news to you; you believe everyone feels the same way you do and that grand gestures and ridiculous displays of love should be the new norm. You spend a majority of your free time daydreaming about your prince charming riding in on a white horse and snatching you away. You want it all: the crying in the rain, him showing up at your door at 3 a.m. to confess his love to you, the first kiss you’ve been waiting for for so long to finally happen. You may even get so side-tracked in your dream world that people have to snap their fingers at you to get you to come back to reality -- yup, trust me, it can get that bad.
4. The idea that “soul mates” don’t exist and “fate” isn’t a thing terrifies you.
The theory that perhaps who we end up with all comes down to proximity and chance startles you and instantly sends you into denial. You just can’t fathom how something so great can stem from something so… uncertain. You’re convinced that two people loving each other for a lifetime has to be chalked up to more than just a coincidence -- it’s something magical, something designed by the gods. The thought that this isn’t true makes your stomach drop: you’re a firm believer that fate and the way the stars align are the only way something so wonderful could be possible.
5. Taylor Swift speaks to the very core of your being.
Taylor Swift is the biggest hopeless romantic you can think of -- she is who every hopeless romantic aspires to be. Your thoughts are constantly being echoed in her lyrics, and you find yourself amazed as you relate to every single one of her songs. Every. Single. One. Her coffee-shop style and her whimsical, haunting lyrics are the stuff you just can’t get enough of; she leaves you craving more, counting down to the moments until the release of her newest album. Pop, country, it doesn’t matter -- her romance and sensuality comes through in every side of her, and in your eyes, she can do no wrong.
6. Sometimes, you wonder if you were born in the wrong time.
The vulgar rap music of today, the Tinder style of dating and the fake intimacy of Snapchat -- it just isn’t cutting it for you. You love to ask your grandparents about their time as teenagers, and it sounds like a much more enjoyable time period for you to be in. You’re an old soul, who loves acoustic music and simplicity and serenity, and the dating traditions of the olden days -- the courting, the flowers, the hundreds of hand-written love letters and the hours spent talking on the phone -- are things you constantly crave and dream of.
7. You’re always accused of having too high of standards, and you may rarely be in a relationship.
It almost sounds backwards -- the people who are fascinated with the idea of love are the ones who are often staying out of it? Weird, but true. Hopeless romantics see being someone’s significant other as a really big deal, and they are very selective about to whom they give the key to their hearts to. They may even be accused of having unrealistically high standards, but this isn’t the case -- they just believe that true, great love is uncommon and rare, and they’re not going to settle until they find a love that sparks a fire in their souls. They know what love should be like and what they want, and they’re not going to say yes until they find it.
8. Hearing someone tell you the things they love about their significant other is the kind of stuff you live for.
This is your favorite question to ask newlyweds, new couples and elderly couples all the same: the most romantic, cutest thing ever is hearing what a person adores about their partner. Getting a chance to see what someone finds admirable and attractive is so incredibly exciting to you, and you are obsessed with the idea of someone finding beauty in another’s flaws. Unconditional love is the most pure and wonderful thing this world has to offer, and you’re content with the idea that someone’s little quirks and flaws are the things that make them lovable to someone else. The way they struggle to find words strong enough to explain their partner, the way their eyes light up and sparkle at the thought of them and the unique, charming way they say their soul mate’s name -- you eat up every last bit of it.
9. And finally… you just love the idea of love.
To you, life without love is like a broken pencil -- it has no point. Love is what keeps you going, keeps you holding on and it’s the ultimate blessing that the world has graced us with. You dream about it, you think about it and one day, your ultimate goal is for your life to be all about it. It’s the first thing you think about when you wake up, and the last thing you imagine before you fall asleep to dream of more romance, happiness, and bliss. Dream on my loves!
