Monday, September 9, 2013
The Rush and Perils of Infatuation
Today we discussed two concepts: religious belief and infatuation in preparation to discuss "Araby."
How would you define infatuation in as detailed a way as possible? We are not asking you to identify a specific person or thing in response to this next part of the question, but how has infatuation affected you in your life? Describe the feelings you have experienced while infatuated and then how you feel if/when the period of infatuation ends. Please respond to this question and statement in AT LEAST 10 THOUGHTFUL SENTENCES. BE BOLD AND INSIGHTFUL.
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Infatuation is an addiction that consumes and overtakes the mind so that it interrupts one's daily life style. The once minor obsession suddenly becomes a crutch and runs constantly, even involuntarily, through the back of the mind. When I was younger, I certainly was, as sad as it is, infatuated with hamsters.I would sit in class, doodling, thinking, and coming up with names for my to be and already hamsters. I wrote stories about them, set up obstacle courses and "malls" for them, and even performed some plays with them as the stars. They were my utter addiction, and when, the fateful day came that my favorite hamster died, I didn't stop crying for days. And after that, I never really liked my hamsters. I missed that one so much that I saved mittens I had made for her. What could have been a fun pet for a kid suddenly became a depressing reality and a huge let-down. And this is the other side of infatuation- an overwhelming sadness that stems from loss and loneliness. It helps you hide from reality instead of facing it with the right preparation.
ReplyDeleteI would define infatuation as having this obsession on a person, thing, or even an idea. This obsession usually leads to the individual doing things that they normally wouldn't, like in Araby. The narrator gets pulled in to buying this girl a gift, just because he feels infatuation towards her. Would he have done this usually? I doubt so. I think if I've ever experienced infatuation, it wouldn't have been towards a television show, or something along that nature. This infatuation of mine has often caused me to do things like procrastinate on my school work, or spend a ridiculous amount of time watching television. Now one I look back at this, I am slightly embarrassed and regret it. I think that this sense of regret applies to most, if not all people. Having an infatuation over anything is walking a very thin line, one that most people fall off of on the deep end.
ReplyDeleteI think infatuation is having an extreme obsession with someone or something. Sometimes it can be considered romantic or it can be a little weird or off-putting. It could also be just something that you really, really like or adore. When I was little I was infatuated with dogs. I still love and adore dogs now, but Im not infatuated with as I was when I was little. In class for paragraphs and poems I would write them on dogs. Having an infatuation is okay. However, if it becomes an obsession that consumes most of your thoughts and you go crazy with it, thats when it becomes not okay. It can consume your time and life (for very long periods of time) and cause stress and problems to occur. Infatuations can be tricky to deal with.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation is an extreme obsession with something where the obsession negatively affects the people around the infatuated person. A time I was infatuated with something was when I first read The Hunger Games. I literally just sat on the couch for hours reading. It negatively affected those around me because, although this happened over holiday break one year and I didn't really have much to do, basically all I did was sit and read. I didn't interact with my family except at meal times and when they made me. I didn't do any chores or do anything to help anyone in my family. If I'd had any school work I probably wouldn't have done it. Actually, I got yelled at by my mom a few times for completely ignoring her and my sister. My entire life was essentially put on hold for two days. Having an infatuation gives one the inability to function at all. The feelings I had while infatuated were all related to the plot of my books. I don't think it even phased me at all when my mom yelled at me; nothing mattered to me. When I stopped being infatuated I think I kind of returned to normal life. I regained my judgement and common sense.
ReplyDeleteI think infatuation is a strong obsession with anything:person, place, thing, or idea, without real reasoning. Second-third grade I was infatuated with webkinz. I was only allowed 25 minutes of screen time a week, and that 25 minutes was what I lived for. My parents would limit the number of webkinz I was allowed to bring on a trip. This usually involved a lot of crying and indecisiveness over which ones I should bring and which ones would feel left out. Eventually my parents just gave in; choosing involved too many emotions. On one plane ride, my brother and I brought 40 webkinz collectively. This affected my parents, the other passengers, my grandparents when we arrived, and me when I thought I lost one. When I wasn't on webkinz, I sewed clothes for them, built them tiny houses, and had pageants and talent shows for them. At the end of the year, I even signed people's yearbooks with the names of my webkinz. Eventually I just grew out of it. First I stopped going on webkinz, then the toys became less special, and eventually baskets and baskets of previously loved webkinz made their way to the Evansdale Elementary consignment sale. When I lost the infatuation, it was a huge relief. All the stress was gone and I could focus my energy elsewhere. Loosing the infatuation made me a new and less narrow person. Not only did loosing the infatuation make life easier for me, but also for the people around me.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation is an obsession that reaches to a point where you desire something daily at every moment. You gain a craving to something that influences your every move and thought. You’re compelled and dependent on its existence alone. For example, at times or moments in my life I gain an infatuation for reading. I get bound to sit down and read. I gain a connection like no other longing for more at every second. No matter how much I read I may never be content until I don’t have to stop. However, when it is time to stop my good mood may continue or stop depending on how much my soul is pleased with the amount of reading it needed for its thirst. You see you can’t directly determine if this infatuation is healthy or harmful. I believe only a person’s soul can define how much help or harm its gaining by having this obsession over something.
ReplyDeleteI believe that infatuation is the occurring of strong, deep and confusing feelings that starts to level up something in you that intensifies your feelings towards someone. It heightens such a keen capacity of physical sensation, that one may be classified as obsessed. I think obsession is another factor of love. When comparing love and infatuation, I strongly see infatuation as a stage of not knowing or understanding where you stand between the two. Confusion can interrupt your feelings and make it not seem like "love" to others, because you are driven from the thought of something stronger and unstable.
ReplyDeleteI have been infatuated towards someone so much I realized how devoted I was to see them happy. I forgot my dreams, me and the importance of self-control. I let stronger emotions take over without thinking through, but I think I actually gave a little of myself up because consciously I knew I wanted to see that person happy. Though in the end, when I stopped having those type of feelings for them, I blamed how I lost myself. Instead, on how I did intentionally and willingly decide to give some of me to someone else.
Infatuation is an obsession. An addiction to something, someone, or some idea. I have experienced infatuation in many forms. I have found that this obsession is strongest when directed towards an idea. The feelings of infatuation I have felt towards a idea are the strongest simply because the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. In my imagination, this idea was probably much greater than in reality. When you are infatuated with something it is not necessarily that you don't recognize this feeling, it's that you are so obsessed that you don't care. One's love of something, someone, or some idea really can be like a drug. I have never been so obsessed with something that I have lost my mind, but I can see it happening to certain people. After this period of infatuation ends, I have often been left questioning why I ever was felt the way I did about the object of my interest, another similarity with a former drug user. Infatuation is a powerful, and sometimes dangerous feeling that, in the moment, is to much to repress.
ReplyDeleteIn my eyes infatuation is simply an obsession over someone or something that you don't necessarily have control of. When you are infatuated you don't think you react and your first reaction is to get closer to what ever is obsessing and that may mean not making the best decision for yourself. Infatuation drives us to complete some of our most difficult goals or it could also be the reason for some of the careless decisions we make in life. Imagine a scientist that is not infatuated by his work he probably wont be the one making any revolutionary discoveries, he is missing that passion for his work that the legends in history had for completing their goal. Although infatuation can be a very positive thing to have it sometimes may lead to those choices you may later on regret like making a bad choice on something you thought was worth it but really wasn't. In the same way infatuation has been there to push me towards my goal it has also made me make decisions I wouldn't have done in my right mind. It has done me both good and bad but I feel people always need to be obsessed over something. I know about how it is to feel infatuation as well as how is feels being out of it and the feeling afterwards depend on the choices you made during that time of obsession. You can be happy knowing that you completed the goal that you were so dedicated to, you can be proud knowing you had the will power to make better decisions instead of depending on instincts or happy that you relied on your instincts and things came out the way you wanted. They can also go another set of ways you can be disappointed that you didn't have the will power to analyze to make the choice or you can also not react and you can deeply think but end up confusing your self and failing to know what choice to make. With infatuation there really is not definite answer.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation is being so obsessed with something you lose all your reasoning. It can be a person, an activity, an object, a pet, an idea. I have felt infatuated about many things. I have felt infatuation towards people and when those infatuations ended I realized I had done so many done things because I was obsessed with them. I have been infatuated with books, especially Harry Potter. When I first read Harry Potter I never did anything else, I didn't really focus on school or anything that was important(not that Harry Potter isn't) which looking back on I shouldn't have. This kind of obsession is probably one of the most powerful and controlling feelings one can feel. I know when I have been infatuated with a person, they were almost controlling everything I did. They weren't aware of it of course, but they just were. Most people would agree that infatuation is one of the most powerful controlling feelings.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think infatuation is a word that means obsessed with or very interested in something or someone. When I was little, I remember one of the things I was obsessed with was Littlest Pets Shops. I would play with them all the time by myself or with my friends. The older I started getting though, the less interested I was in toys and these kinds of things. It was sad too, because I would always remember having so much fun with them...but I wasn't really in the mood to play anymore. Pretty soon though, I got obsessed with other things...like Zach Efron. I even wrote him a letter...but that was an end to my infatuation with him because he never replied... I think that infatuations are normal in life, everyone will have an experience of which they are obsessed with something/someone. It can be sad when it ends, but eventually you grow up changing, and you can't be infatuated forever. Now I'm obbessed with Justin Bieber. That probably won't end until I'm 20 or so, but when it does--life will move on and it won't be sad anymore.
ReplyDeleteI think infatuation is obsession to the point where you neglect your responsibilities in favor of what you are infatuated with. Someone in class today described as a veil over your eyes and I think that describes it perfectly. People who are infatuated with something/someone don’t see what’s important. They can’t see that what they’re doing is obsessive, or maybe they do and don’t care. In the past I’ve been infatuated with TV shows. I’ll neglect my schoolwork and chores, and watch “just one more episode.” I’ve found that when you get really obsessed with something of that sort a book or TV show you almost wish you were the character. And that can make life seem really dull. I think this is one of the many down sides to infatuation. You rather be someone who doesn’t exist than yourself.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation is an obsession that is so strong that it starts to get in the way of you or someone else's life. You can be infatuated over virtually anything such as people, objects or animals. When I was younger I was infatuated over a toy I had. It was a stuffed duck named Ducky that I got from a claw machine at mellow mushroom. I'm not sure why it stood out to me above all my other toys but I loved it and brought it everywhere. I remember one day I was watching TV when my brother walked in the room and informed me that he had found the remains of my beloved stuffed animal. My dog had chewed up my favorite toy and it was completely destroyed. My initial response was that I started bawling and thought that my life was over, but after a while I realized it was only a toy and I could live without it. It felt good to move on and made me feel like I had grown up.
ReplyDeleteI think that Infatuation is a sort not lasting obsession that is very intense at the time. I think hat everybody has experienced this in some way before. I don't think that this a good thing because you are just Interested intensely for a short time then it goes away. The reason I think it is not good is because you can't stick with one thing for a long period of time. This is not good for some things especially love. Because love should be chosen carefully and last for a long time not for a short period of time.
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I believe infatuation means an attraction you have to somebody or something that goes more into obsession than love. Being infatuated makes you do things you usually wouldn’t, but since the person you are infatuated with asked you to, you do it. I think you also lose control over your real self because you are more focused on them and pleasing them that you forget to worry about yourself. Sometimes the person you are infatuated with isn’t aware that they are affecting you to where you would do anything for them. I can’t recall any moments in my life where I have been infatuated with somebody that my life surrounds them, but I have had petty crushes. When I find somebody attractive I will notice when they walk into a room and I would will myself to have the courage to talk to them, but I never actually do. Usually my petty crushes go away when I don’t feed them by always thinking about the person or starring at them. I have never taken a crush so seriously to where infatuation even fits the situation because I have no trouble letting the crush go away. I think for people who are really infatuated with somebody they start to lost control over getting rid of it. In my opinion it isn't healthy to give that much attention to one person to where you aren’t living your life on your terms anymore. It’s a lot worse when you have never talked that person and you become a stalker and basically have an addiction to them.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation is when someone is so obsessed or absorbed into one thing that it begins to effect the things/people around them. This can be about anything, people, places, items, activities, etc. Because of that, infatuation becomes a normal thing for one person to go through once or twice in life. If that guess is correct than that makes me wonder if being infatuated for a short time is really a bad thing. I remember when my little sister became so in love with the Harry Potter books that she wouldn’t stop talking about them even when the topic had nothing to do with Harry Potter, and that obsession became infatuation when she quit just silently reading to going off on how trees remind her of the womping willow and how our family is made of muggles. To sum it all up, a little bit of infatuation is okay but everything is okay in moderation, except shoplifting, or drugs, or murder, okay not everything in moderation but you get the point.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation is when someone is thoroughly enthraled or obsessed with. When someone is infatuated they are almost out of touch with the rest of the world. A stalker is in an example of infatuation because they are so obsessed with someone they barely are thinking. I believe that it is a synonym to enthraled because they both mean to be thoroughly engaged in. But it can also have a normal meaning too, a person can be an ichlophile but not be stalking fish. Infatuation is the same as affinity in a normal sence, because they both mean something your interested in. I could be infatuated with a lecture someone is giving, but not obsessed. I think that it has multiple reasons, it just has to be in the right context. Infatuation is a difficult word to Desiree out of context.
ReplyDeleteAye got the last comment LMFAO. To me Infatuation means that Thinking you are in love, But really just have a huge obsessive crush or liking anything basically, thing, place, idea etc. which may change with span of time.. And it happens to everyone, but I'm not gonna talk about me because I am vanirable but when I was on Facebook the other day I saw a video of this guy who was crying and saying how he wants his girlfriend back and stuff but I looked at the comment and it turns it they didn't go out and he was just obsessed with her like he gave her expensive thing and stuff and stalked her witch got her scared that's why she didn't date him, that's all anyways.. Was up guys? And I am watching WWE lmfao.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation is when someone is deeply interested in someone or something. It really can change a person's mindset and behavior in positive or negative ways. I think its normal to go through infatuation phases whether it be in with a person or something. They may seem pointless after the phase is over but can change perspectives on their interests. Infatuation really adds positive influence to my mindset because for an example, if I'm not having a good day, then I already can listen to some types of music so I can "turn up". I get infatuated with certain types of music until it becomes a cliche. Then, I find new songs to get infatuated with and discuss(or rap them) with people. I find much joy in that and it kind of links me to the musical society (of rap)but then pointless once the phase of infatuation is over. Overall, I think infatuation is fun in the making but pointless afterwards so people should enjoy infatuation while it lasts, unless you have an obsession that can damage society in a way.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation is a very strong subset emotion but does not live very long. In my opinion infatuation for short periods of time is good because it is one of the strongest motivations one can have, and it can introduce you to new topics of new things that you otherwise would not have even given a second thought. I am not sure what infatuated feels like and I am not sure anyone else does because we are talking about human emotions and there is really no way to decipher weather your emotions feel the same as mine but thats another story. I suspect that I have had Infatuations in the past wether it is regarding Game of Thrones or a certain number of people I cannot tell because the feelings you get when being obsessed with a object or a book series feel much different then feelings you get from a person. But both can push to do bigger and greater things Which is why I think that infatuation is not this evil thing that kills our daily lifestyle and weakens our self pride. But rather it strengthens us as a person by motivating us to do things that would have otherwise be deemed stupid and not worth the time. So in conclusion Infatuation is when you are obsessed with a person or an object that ends up motivating you to do different things and expand your horizon.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation, like most concepts, ideas, or emotions, exists in degrees. It varies in severity and harmfulness. Infatuation with a person is like love gone wrong (especially if you don't know the infatuatee). Infatuation is when you are obsessed or addicted to something/someone and believe that you are in love or that this thing/person is important. I would usually think of infatuation in terms of people – like when little kids have crushes. Many of the other comments have been about objects, which kind of different. I suppose you could say that my dog is "infatuated" with standing guard for rodents all night, but I think that I would use the word "obsessed" or "addicted to." I think my dog likes to stand watch because of his territorial instincts, but also to have a purpose, to be part of something larger, a kind of system. Humans are very similar to dogs in this way. Think about how we are less scared when we are not alone, especially if we are with – physically or mentally – someone vulnerable or close to us. This relates Infatuation, obsession, and purpose to religion. I think that religion can be explained by looking at sports fandom (one of my infatuations). As humans we have a desire to be part of a group, as large as possible, spreading across the world, but still defined by who we are not. I can be a fan of a soccer team in London or a believer in a Middle Eastern prophet or son of God. When I go to a church or stadium, I connect to something larger than life. As an individual I have no control over major events, but as part a crowd, mob, fan-base, group of believers, I (or we) can make a huge difference. It would be much harder to convert someone to a religion of a few dozen disciples than a billion worshippers. So much of our life is defined by the groups we are part of – political parties, teams, religions, offices, trade unions – and these groups are defined by their rivals or enemies. A common song sung by English soccer crowds (which are made up of extremely infatuated individuals) is "When the Saints Go Marching In." A saying among supporters of one club nicknamed "the Saints" is "Keep the Faith." Even if it is irrational and impractical, we have no choice but to keep our faith.
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DeleteInfatuation means to me that you are over obsessed with someone, or something. Personally, I don't think infatuation is like love. I think that infatuation takes over your brain, and can be selfish for a desire. While love is more having chemistry with someone or a thing. For me I have an infatuation with Justin Bieber. I fan-girl over him and you become over obsessed with him, and in reality I don't personally know him so I'm infatuated. I admire him and think he is attractive, but I have never really talked to him or met him in person (even though I really want to). All in all I think that infatuation is something a lot of people have had or has, but maybe they just haven't noticed it.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that there are two types of infatuation. The first is healthy infatuation such as young, mindless addictions to things such as Legos or baseball cards. Passions such as baseball cards are something that can’t really hurt you in the end. They are fun and as a kid I collected close to a million of them. The other type is unhealthy infatuation, which is something that you can’t control. It takes a hold of you and even if you know it’s wrong you will do it anyway. This I believe happens mostly with an infatuation for someone else. This type of infatuation can in the end cause pain. When you get older, healthy infatuations can transform from mindless hobbies into a life style, such as collection baseball cards turning into a life of loving to play baseball and knowing the game. On the other hand, unhealthy infatuations can take away your ability to think for yourself.
ReplyDeleteI believe that infatuation is an extreme obsession. One can be infatuated with just about anything, even though it is most often connected to love. Infatuation can control your actions and intentions. It can take over your thoughts, making you forget what you were before it. It can be both a good or bad thing, but always has the downside of losing some of what you were before it. While infatuated with something your actions make sense to you but are really all working in favor of your infatuation. You are filled with joy and can't get enough of whatever it is you are obsessed with. Depending on what it is you are obsessed with this can be fine, but it while effect those around you. When your infatuation is ended for what ever reason you may realize how much it changed you or even feel like you lost something. This feeling will not last for long because we need something to believe in.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation possesses your mind and actions. It stops you from thinking about anything that makes sense. Different people were infatuated with making the first heavier than air flying-machine. They became so obsessed with their ideas, that many eventually crashed their aircraft and killed themselves. The infatuation was like a fog in their minds and it stopped them from thinking clearly. It made them make bad decisions that ended up killing them. Some good can come out of infatuation because the Wright brothers were infatuated with their ideas, but they made the first airplane. When I was really young I was infatuated with roads. I was obsessed with where they went and how they connected to other roads. This was good because I could help people with directions but it was bad because I spent hours in my room drawing maps of roads.
ReplyDeleteInfatuation. This is a concept that I don't fully understand yet. I can see how it is an obsession with someone or something but I don't necessarily believe that's true. I believe that infatuation is more of a strong attraction to either a person, thing, or concept. For instance, since I was younger I have always had an infatuation with magic. I was not obsessed but I was very drawn towards this concept of magic. Everything I would do I linked to magic and I spent countless afternoons daydreaming about it. This wasn't an obsession. It didn't corrupt my brain, but instead my mind romanticized the idea of witches and wizards. An infatuation isn't like cordyceps fungi that slowly takes over the brain of insects. An infatuation is strong, sudden, and unexplainable. But it's normal and it doesn't ruin people's lives.
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