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Lust

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See also Lust (onomastics) for other uses

Lust is any intense desire or craving for self gratification. Lust can mean strictly sexual lust, although it is also common to speak of a "lust for life", "lust for blood (bloodlust for short)", or a "lust for power" or other goals.


As a moral term, lust implies a sexual desire for its own sake, an erotic arousal and wish, or intense physical or sexual attraction or craving. It is a sin in some religions such as Christianity when it is an excess or inappropriately directed sexual desire (e.g., non-procreative, unsanctioned, or egocentric sexual desire), and is one of the seven deadly sins, as a sin of excess. The Greek word which translates as lust is epithymia (επιθυμια), which also is translated into English as "to covet".

Etymology

The word is derived from the Old English term for desire, and ultimately from a Germanic which also originated High German lust 'wish, desire'. In German, the word Lust denotes simply "desire".

Obsolete uses include lust in the sense of pleasure, or relish.

Perceptions

Many people acknowledge that feelings of lust do not always imply feelings of love, and they make a strong distinction between the terms lust and love. Love has many definitions, but in general the word implies a concern for the well-being of the other person as well as carrying a more "pure" connotation (See Love for more details), whereas lust in the average person is often more a product of their own libidinal urge than it is a product of a desire for the well-being of the objects of lust, although the two can certainly co-exist. Others consider lust ultimately incompatible with, or unrelated to love.

Some sects of Christianity believe that receiving or desiring to receive any pleasure from sexual activities, such as lust, is an act of selfishness.

This view of lust as an inappropriate desire has led to its metaphorical extended use in other forms of desire to signify overwhelming desire or craving, such as a lust for power, success, or recognition. It has also been used in the sense of intense eagerness or enthusiasm, such as a lust for life.

On the other hand, in different cultures, individual groups see lust as the purest form of love. This viewpoint argues that being a pure emotional wish, based upon physical attraction, frees lust from the constraints of emotional baggage (or negative inner conceptual responses), and respects it for what it is, the direct emotional inner instinct and desire of one person, to carnally know and be intimate with another. [citation needed]

Examples: Envy, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Wrath

Biblical

The book of 1 John specifically refers to lust as being two of the three false things in the world: "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

Catholicism

In Catholicism, lust is subdivided into six categories: fornication, adultery, rape, incest, seduction, and unnatural vice.

Fornication and adultery are similar in that they both pertain to having sex outside of marriage. They differ in that the former pertains to situations where neither partner is married, whereas the latter pertains to situations in which one or both partners are married, but not to each other. Many Catholics include sexual fantasy in this category (i.e., a sexual fantasy that is willfully entertained is also counted as lust.)

Rape is the act of forcing another person to have sex without their consent. Rape victims are not considered by the Catholic Church to have lost their virginity. In the United States, sex with underage persons is considered statutory rape.

Incest is the act of sexual intercourse between individuals who are blood related, for example, those who are siblings, or between a parent and his or her child.

Seduction is the act of purposely inducing feelings of lust in someone else.

Unnatural vice means sexual intercourse and sexual behaviour for purposes other than to procreate.

Buddhism

In Theravada Buddhism, in order to remove lust, the preceptor teaches five meditation themes: "kesa", hair of the head; "loma", hair of the body; "nakha", nails; "danta", teeth; and "taco", skin. These are the five visible parts of the thirty-two parts of the body the Buddha taught for contemplation to overcome lust. Even the five visible parts are not attractive when contemplated in isolation.

Lust fastens only on the body. But loving-kindness and compassion are concerned with the well-being of peoples' minds and bodies. Source

Islam

The Islamic viewpoint of lust is that it is an excess of desire (interpersonal attraction and motivation), which is a natural human trait. Sexual desire is allowed to be acted out almost without bounds with partners of the opposite sex to whom one is married according to the sharia. Lust for an unnatural surplus in worldly power and/or wealth is forbidden and is said to lead a Muslim to self destruction.

See also

References

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