Mark Braboy
News Editor
My somewhat chaotic generation can be weird sometimes, especially when it comes to dealing with our emotions. Sometimes, a lot of us can be so caught up in our feelings when it comes to the opposite sex that we wind up confused about what we want. Our feelings of love and lust and how they can be misconstrued so easily, can leave you in a painful world of hurt.
Love and lust are as similar to each other as yin and yang. Both are natural emotions that are built within us that promote human procreation; however one of them is a selfless emotion while the other is selfish.
When you love somebody, you think about ways to make that person happy because their happiness makes you happy. You feel as if you cannot live without this person in your life. But most importantly, you accept that person for who they are. Love also involves a level of respect and caring that transcends physical attraction.
Lust, on the other hand, can sometimes fool you because intimacy feels like love. But unlike love, lust can be an extremely dangerous force. Many people get sexual desire and lust confused. But lust is a selfish and extremely unhealthy feeling that is solely based on physical gratification.
As a man, I will be honest, I fall in lust on a regular basis. We all have, it’s human nature. Lust is dangerous because it creates evil, selfish, and manipulative desires that can blind you from reality. A person in love, when they think of the object of their affection thinks, “What can I do for this person today? A person in lust however thinks, “What can this person do for ME today?”
Lust can lead to heartbreak, financial woes, lost friendships, hurt feelings and in extreme cases STDs, and even death.
Some of you may be saying that love can also lead to the same thing and it can, especially if the person you are in love with is in lust with you.
So don’t get the two confused. When someone loves you, they are willing to go above and beyond for your happiness and it’s not because of your physical characteristics or what you can do for them. They are willing to embrace who you are and want you to become the best person that you can be. They are also unselfish when it comes to giving you their time and energy, no matter how busy they are.
When someone lusts for you however, they will not go the extra mile for you at all unless you have something that they want. If all they are focused on are your physical characteristics, they do not care about anything substantial about you or your life.
To understand these often confused concepts is to fully understand your own emotions and the people around you. Always remember, before you can truly be in LOVE you have to LOVE yourself.
Have a happy and healthy Valentine’s Day.
