By: Sophia Kibler

    The thrill of the chase can be all-consuming, especially as a teenager. With endorphins and new emotions running high, a crush can be the most exciting thing in some teens’ lives. Though it can be futile. Many people tend to be enamoured with the idea of their person of interest rather than the person themselves. When one finds out more about their crush, whether it be interests or personality traits, reality might clash with their idealized fantasy. 

   “It can be really exciting to get to know someone at first, but then you can reach a threshold with them where there’s nothing left to learn,” junior Jesus Mirabal shared. 

   Though the ideal end goal for many is to end up officially in a relationship with their romantic prospects, sometimes the reality of doing so can be bleak. Trying to decode if it’s the person themselves that’s interesting, or if it’s the excitement of a potential relationship on the brink that is really what’s holding a person’s attention can be tricky. Especially as teenagers, it’s difficult to know if compatibility is being conflated with admiration because the prospect of a relationship and romance is so new. 

   “I think what causes the plateau in getting to actually know somebody is that, as time goes on, there’s less and less to learn, so it’s not as exciting,” junior Abigail Lyu stated. Sometimes, when the ceiling of information is hit, the romantic feelings attached also reach their limit. 

   “Typically, the more I get to know about someone, the less interested I get. It’s not because they’re uninteresting as a person, but I think I just like having a crush,” junior Haewan Kibret said. 

   The mystery that a crush entails just might be more exciting than a substantial relationship. The aspect of not knowing about a person could be more enticing than the tumultuous process of learning about a person. Mystery can be thrilling. However, the case may be the exact opposite for others. 

   “I find myself getting more excited about learning new things about the person I’m interested in. I think it depends on the person and previous experience,” junior Sophia Shaw shared. 

   As many would like to expect out of a crush, learning more about said person will only have one more enamoured with them. The ideal trajectory goes from interest to mutual feelings, and that just may be the case for plenty. Just because someone feels the chase is more exciting, or maybe that reality of a person clashes with their fantasy of them, doesn’t mean that it’s all doom and gloom. Just keep in mind that when expectations are set high, reality hits harder.