Like vs Lust

I've been thinking about this issue for sometime and realized the importance of being able to differentiate the two.

I think Like is to give, while Lust is to gain.  Though they are quite different, I find that it is not easy to differentiate the two, especially in the Singapore society.

Noticed I used the word Like and not Love - as Love is at a different level from Like.  Like and Lust also does not only apply to BGR but also to relationship between family members.

There can be several aspects of lust - lust for youth (old men that like young girls, and also vice versa, though rarer), lust for beauty/appearance (both in a sensual sense or for showoff), lust for power and status, lust for wealth (self-explanatory), lust for charisma (women that like politicians), and lust for flattery.

The problem with lust is that it can only last for as long as the attribute lasts.  Youth doesn't last beyond 10 years.  Beauty and appearance can change in just 4 or 5 years.  Flattery is nice to hear during the dating process but more often than not, disappears soon after marriage.  Power and wealth is also not permanent, it can disappear overnight in a crisis, accident or just a corporate retrenchment.  Charisma can last a bit longer but will also fade with age.

A relationship in which lust dominates can be a fragile one and temporary since the attributes are never permanent.

Like in contrast to Lust is based on the act of giving.  Like is a prelude to love - to love is to give.  A mother's love for her baby - this is pure love.