(image courtesy of blackeri)

Lust is an untempered drive to conquest.

Nobody lusts after what they already have.

Not just about sex: Lust is simultaneously more and less than sexual desire. Sexual desire is a complicated business, and I think it involves several other “Sins” or Drives. There is an element of conquest, which is Lust- but there is also the pleasure of acquisition (Avarice), consumption (Gluttony), competition (Envy), self-glorification (Pride), and some might even argue- destruction (Wrath). I think that’s why sex is such a big part of our lives- because it manages to span almost the entire spectrum of “Sin”.

[image of bloodlust]

Lust is used in other contexts apart from sex, and always around the fundamental notion of conquest. Bloodlust, for instance, is used to describe the trance-like fury of Beserkers- Norse warriors who worked themselves up into a rage before battle. (There are parallels between Bloodlust and Wrath- but Wrath tends to involve an element of anger and hatred, while Bloodlust tends to be associated with frenzied, mindless indifference- a Beserker in his frenzied state did not discriminate between friend and foe.)

Wanderlust, on the other hand, refers to the more peaceable impulse to travel, to explore new lands. In this context, conquest can apply both internally and externally– internal conquest involves conquering personal inertia, apprehension and fear- while external conquest literally refers to the distance covered, the places explored.

I’d like to use an unorthodox example as an archetype of a lusty man- Alexander the Great. Alexander was a man who thrived on conquest. From a young age- he tamed a horse, Bucephalas- that refused to be mounted by anyone else. It eventually carried him to from Macedonia to India as he conquered pretty much anything he set his eyes on. The interesting thing about Alexander’s conquests was that he never seemed to care to enjoy the fruits of his labours. He constantly moved from one target to the next, perpetually on his feet, always anxious to move forward.

In Punjab, the land of his final conquest, the name “Secunder” is commonly given to children even today. This is both due to respect and admiration for Alexander and also as a memento to the fact that fighting the people of Punjab fatigued his army to the point that they revolted against him. A common proverb in the Punjab reads jit jit key jung, secunder jay haar, in translation, “Alexander wins so many battles that he loses the war”.

So how do you hack and leverage Lust?

Lust is fundamentally territorial. You can’t really get rid of that territorial instinct that we all have as human beings. But you have a choice, and you get to choose which territory you’d like to invest your time and energy in.

“You can have no dominion greater or less than that over yourself.” – Leonardo da Vinci

If you could divert all your lust, your desire for conquest into one singular pursuit- aim to conquer yourself. Know yourself. Understand yourself. Understand your mind, your emotions, your traits, your strengths, your weaknesses. Visualise your identity as a vast universe of territory, and choose to conquer that, bit by bit, every single day. If every person is a universe, most people have never left their home planet, and believe that the sun goes around it.

Most of us have no idea just how vast we each individually have the capacity to be. I think that’s because most of us either intentionally or unintentionally restrict the environments and contexts we get ourselves into and the roles we play- we develop a limited and simplistic perspective of ourselves, and this perspective plays a substantial role in the decisions we make for ourselves- creating an unfortunate self-fulfilling prophecy.

What of lust for others, of sexual conquest? I personally like to think of the desire for sexual conquest to be a symptom of something greater, which I would describe as the desire to leave an indelible imprint on a fellow human being. Sex just happens to be one of the most straightforward ways you can do it. It’s fundamentally intimate and personal, and in coitus we share a moment that is at once sacred and profane, intense, memorable, unique. But flesh is fragile, frail. It ages, dies and rots away. If we are to truly impact our fellow-creatures, we have to transcend the physical. We have to empower others, we have to inspire them.

We have to conquer not their bodies, but their hearts and minds. This might not work for you, but it works for me- every time you find yourself lusting after power, authority, position or flesh, ask yourself- will it last? Will she remember me for ever? There is more to people than flesh and blood, and if you make it a point to learn to truly appreciate that- and I mean truly appreciate that, for it is a lifelong affair- then believe you me, everything else will fall into place wonderfully. Think about the legacy that you wish to leave behind after you’re gone, and you should find that the “Sin” of lust becomes inconsequential- just a fleeting (and often entertaining!) thought, and nothing more.

Alexander’s reign was short, as was his life. His vast kingdom fell apart quickly due to civil wars and power struggles. But the force of his personality and the cultural diffusion induced by his conquests remain his lasting legacy. He was known to be magnanimous, merciful, intelligent and ambitious. He inspired men throughout the ages, from Caesar to Napoleon.

Alexander’s greatest accomplishment was not destruction, but creation- he founded the great city of Alexandria, which was to be a beacon of culture and learning for the Ancient world. (The libraries in Alexandria housed the accumulated knowledge of the Greeks and Romans, which were of vital importance in the following centuries when Greece and Rome fell to illiterate barbarians.) Above all else that he conquered, he conquered himself, and he conquered the hearts and minds of his men, and he was a Hero for all the ages.

More:

“Hacking The 7 Deadly Sins“,

Lust + Vanity + Greed + Sloth + Envy + Wrath + Gluttony