The saying goes 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions' and although we don't want to admit this, it is often true. Many people in our lives seem to have good intentions. Sadly, that is not always the case. There are ways to identify these people and put an end to fake relationships.

The following 3 tips will help you look past what is in front of you and see the meaning (or lack thereof) behind interactions and words said by the people in your life.

Realise That Real Love Is Selfless

Whether you're talking about the love between lovers or friends, the real thing is not at all selfish. The only thing that sincere love asks for, is to be loved. Sometimes, this isn't even asked. Overall, nothing is requested and everything is given. If the people in your life do not enhance it, their love may not be real.

If they're willing to take and never give, you should realize that they're in this for themselves. You should not be a means to an end or some sort of achievement for someone. They should just want to be with you with nothing expected in return. You should be able to tell when people are sincere and when not, but some can be great actors. Keep your eyes open and try not to be blinded by your heart.

There Is A Difference Between Real Love And Comfort

For the most part, no one wants to be alone. That is why they confuse being comfortable with someone for love. It's not the same thing. If you want to find relationships with real love, you should first love yourself. That way, you will be fulfilled enough to not need this comfort, but also have more love to give.

Find people that you can sense love themselves and invest in relationships with them. This doesn't mean you should reject others, just be careful that their need to be comfortable with someone isn't confused with love.

In Most Cases It's Not Love

This is a harsh and sad reality, but most people aren't in love when it seems that they are. It's known that when you hear that you are loved (being told directly), serotonin and oxytocin floods your body. When you revisit the thought, these chemicals are released again, and it's a good feeling. That's why many people think they love someone and are loved and feel great about it, but in reality, they do not, they just love the idea of it.

This means you should take a good, hard look at your relationships and see it for what it really is. Of course, this doesn't mean ALL your relationships are fake. But it's a good idea to know what is real and what isn't, to save yourself a lot of heartaches.

Remember that while you want true love to be shown to you, you should show it to the people in your life as well. It goes both ways - treat people the way you want to be treated.