What causes a man to lust?

By: Michael Arangua

Updated May 11, 2021

Medically Reviewed By: Natalie Feinblatt

What Is Lust?

When we think of the word lust, it conjures up all sorts of things. The definition of lust is intense sexual attraction or desire. This sexual desire is often defined as being for someone other than a partner, though the modern connotations may not be this specific. This intense sexual attraction is in most cases just a sign of a healthy sexual appetite as an adult, but sometimes it's a sign of something a bit more complicated. Studies using MRI technology have shown that lust lights up the brain in the same areas an addict's brain does on drugs. Intense physical attraction and hormones together fuel projection and idealization which can cloud our judgment of reality.

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Advice Home > Intimacy > What Does Lust Mean?

What Does Lust Mean?

By: Michael Arangua

Updated May 11, 2021

Medically Reviewed By: Natalie Feinblatt

What Is Lust?

When we think of the word lust, it conjures up all sorts of things. The definition of lust is intense sexual attraction or desire. This sexual desire is often defined as being for someone other than a partner, though the modern connotations may not be this specific. This intense sexual attraction is in most cases just a sign of a healthy sexual appetite as an adult, but sometimes it's a sign of something a bit more complicated. Studies using MRI technology have shown that lust lights up the brain in the same areas an addict's brain does on drugs. Intense physical attraction and hormones together fuel projection and idealization which can cloud our judgment of reality.

Lust is An Intense Feeling Where You're Extremely Attracted to A Person.

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Within the brain, the pituitary gland controls a range of hormones including gonadotropin-releasing hormones (which are thought to be a human pheromone) and androgens. The most well-known androgen, testosterone, is linked to sexual arousal and physical attraction. Both men and women that have high levels of testosterone have stronger sex drives and are more likely to have active sex lives. When people kiss, testosterone is exchanged through saliva. As testosterone is also the male sex hormone, it's possible that men struggle more with lust than women.

What triggers this response (what causes us to be lustful) is part of the natural drive to procreate, so when we see a possible mate, the brain is wired to release chemicals that make us more likely to pursue them for that purpose. On a base level, our bodies don't care about love; they care about the continuation of the species which is where lust becomes useful. The part of the brain that is involved in behavioral regulation and self-awareness is not active in this process, meaning it's entirely subconscious. We cannot choose to lust after someone; our brains will do it for us on a chemical level.

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