As we make our way through this unpredictable path called life, it is only natural and human that we will like certain things, not others and more specifically certain people, not others. The latter being the focus of this piece. For the sake of the purpose of this article, other sort of relationships such as the ones found in the realms of perversion will be ignored.
The liking that I refer to is the more intimate/personal sort and as such I believe that contrary to popular belief infatuation is almost always the first step or consensus of understanding rather before love is even part of the equation.
While growing up a girl might fancy a guy or vice versa. At different points in their life. As they mature, as the hormones do their dance etc., we have seen two particular cases of how relationships are formed. A person might be infatuated by someone and believe that they are in love progressing to enter into a relationship. Or a person doesn't go through that cycle and enters an arranged relationship. In both of these cases the couple either reaches an understanding or not. If they do, they are the blessed ones and then there are those that do not find that magic balance. So such is the nature of this worldly life that we have seen so many people who mistake those initial stages to be "love" and are later left with a miserable unfulfilled self and on the contrary we have also seen the lot that goes into an arranged relationship, and discovering that emotion. In the middle we find people who start with the usual infatuation mistaking it for love, due to the construed media view or too much Sidney Sheldon, but also do upgrade to real love later. These are the people who you often see as claiming idiotic things like "Love at First Sight".
One should understand that the goal and the focus should be this upgrade to this next level which is true love. I firmly believe in "Infatuation at First Sight" because "Love at First Sight" is simply impossible but I can appreciate, that we humans are emotional beings and if we get into that mind set it may be difficult for us to differentiate between the two.
The thing that I talk about above does not only apply to husband/wife or girlfriend/boyfriend relationships. Love of all sorts even that you feel for your parents or Allah comes from this. The only difference being that in the former case you may have an opportunity to identify the stage where your interest has been piqued and in the latter you don't.
The love that you have for your family; siblings, parents and even extended, is an inevitability whether you are conscious of it or not. I know many who aren't. But because you are born into a unit/system, you observe things around you in that environment, as a baby / child you learn from that environment, and before you know it that is your way of life. You don't have to make any conscious effort to understand anything. You are it, you live it, and therefore you love it and everything that comes with it. If one resists it for whatever reason, and people are beings that can have many, then you are just doing yourself and your family a dis-service. Making life difficult, unhealthy and uneasy not only for yourself but for everyone.
Then there is the spiritual love of Allah. As it stands some of that may be spoon fed to you as you are growing up but the reality is the in this world, that is the only classic example of understanding leading to love. As Muslims one will spend their life time understanding their religion and Quran and only when they understand will the divine love bloom.
Conclusively, Love is an emotion that is rooted in understanding, whether it be divine or earthly. In order to be and raise a family of, people of substance, its pivotal to focus on the aspect of understanding rather than whatever stupid worldly view that might be in vogue.