Infatuation, lust and the early romantic stages of love are all phases of a relationship that can blind us to the reality of our partner, during which we may project onto them a fantasy that has little or nothing to do with who they are.
By contrast, intimacy is about seeing each other clearly and completely and with as little distortion as possible. This means having a balanced view of your partner by recognizing their weaknesses as well as their strengths. And it starts by having a balanced view of yourself.
In other words, love may be blind but intimacy has 20/20 vision.