Sadhguru, also known as Jaggi Vasudev, is a mystic and yogi who often talks about life-changing topics that compel us to delve a little deeper in the chores of our daily lives.Recently, he spoke about how we often conflate love with lust.We often tend to use the words love and lust as if they mean the same thing. Both can create excitement, attraction, and a strong desire to move closer to a person.But it is important to remember that both do not always come from the same place. Sometimes we want someone because just their presence seems to fill an emptiness within us. While at other times, we feel connected to them without demanding that they complete us.Sadhguru invites us to look honestly at this difference.And his words do not just apply to physical attraction or romantic relationships.Let’s dig in to find out.
Quote of the day
“Lust is a strong need. Love is not a need but a longing. When you love, you settle down – nothing more is needed.”
Lust is a strong need. Love is not a need but a longing. When you love, you settle down – nothing more is needed
Sadhguru
What does the quote mean?
Sadhguru explains lust as an intense demand arising from a sense of incompleteness. When we lust after someone, or even after food, success, shopping, or entertainment, we may feel that getting the desired thing will finally make us satisfied. The mind keeps saying, “I need this to feel complete.” And even though we might feel satisfied, but the craving often returns.
Love, in contrast, is described as a longing rather than a need
Longing can be softer. It lets affection exist without turning the other person into a possession or a solution to our problems. When Sadhguru says that love makes us “settle down,” he means to talk about an inner sense of ease and calm.We can be with someone without constantly wanting attention, proof, excitement, or control. This does not mean that having desires is wrong, or that every loving relationship must be calm all the time. Lust and love can exist together.Physical attraction can be a healthy part of a relationship when it includes mutual consent, respect, and emotional understanding. But the important question is whether desire reduces a person to an object or becomes part of a relationship in which both people are valued.
