How do I know if someone is love bombing me or genuinely interested in me?

Mirabai knew the difference between intoxication and real devotion. Love bombing feels like drowning in flowers while genuine interest feels like being *known*. Real connection has rhythm—it builds, it pauses, it lets you breathe. Love bombers move fast, declare everything immediately, shower you with declarations before you've shared anything real. They're performing a fantasy of you, not seeing you. Genuine interest asks questions and actually listens to the answers. It shows up inconsistently sometimes because real people have lives. It doesn't need constant validation. The key: notice whether this person is curious about your actual thoughts, your grief, your mess—or whether they're just painting you into their story. Mirabai's examined heart could tell the difference between someone who loved *her* and someone who loved the idea of her devotion. That discernment saved her. Watch for reciprocal vulnerability. Does this person share their real struggles, or only their best self? Real love asks you to witness them whole, not just worship them.