differences in definitions

It all seems to come down to definitions, doesn't it? When talking about love, even when using the same words, people can be saying totally different things - because they attach different definitions to the same words. And for many people, "love" is synonymous with "lust". ("Synonymous", for those who have a hard time understanding words with more than three syllables, means that the words mean the same thing.) But is love really the same thing?

I think not. Love is NOT lustful. Lust means that you see a person, and think, "Oh, I want that person's body. I want to have them pleasure me." It objectifies the person. Women particularly are victimized by this. Look at fashion today, for heaven's sake! We women are told to wear skin-tight shirts that have collars that go practically down to our navel, skirts that barely cover what is necessary - or cover the bottom part of the leg and have holes in the upper (I actually saw a skirt like that the other day), leggings that show every curve of the leg to the world...and so on and so forth. Women undervalue themselves because, according to society, what's in our heads doesn't matter. It's what is on our heads and the rest of our bodies. 

I want to make something very clear to all you men out there. I AM NOT AN OBJECT! I am a person just like you, with hopes, fears, and dreams of my own. I am not a toy for you to use for your own pleasure. If you want a perfect girl or something to lust after, stop using me. Go get a Barbie. 

Sorry, I needed to get that out. Anyway, lust is an evil thing. It turns people into nothing more than an object for another's pleasure, and I don't care what you believe, people are more than that. I'm suggesting something other than lust. I suggest desire. 

Desire doesn't objectify the person. Desire wants to pleasure the other. Desire doesn't care about himself or herself, desire wants the other person to be happy. Desire also knows that there are times that it is not acceptable to act upon the desire, that there are times to wait. Desire is not lust. They are as far apart in meaning as the east is from the west. Many people mistake them for one another, and use them interchangeably.

However, I choose to use the words differently. Anyone would say there is a difference in the intent - I choose to use these words to fit with it.

So, don't tell me lust is good. Don't even THINK lust is good. DESIRE is good. Desire celebrates humanity, lust objectifies it. Get your definitions straight. ;)

-enna

P.S. This IS my Valentine's post. It's on an element of "love" that people like to mislabel. Or just outright misinterpret what love is. So for Valentine's this year, I'm setting the record straight.