Saturday, October 2, 2010

Love and sex: Nature’s gambit

L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R
Sunday, October 3, 2010, Chandigarh, India
KHUSHWANT SINGH’s article, “Meaning of love” (Saturday Extra, Sept 25) was interesting. Love and sex go hand in hand. The latter is an extension of the former. Sexologists agree that sexual desires and dispositions are the nature’s gambit devised for achieving the dual objective of ensuring pleasure and for the procreation of species.
According to Desmond Morris, the human animal is basically and biologically a pair-forming species. As the emotional relationship develops between a pair of potential mates, it is aided and abetted by the sexual activities they share. Sometimes a powerful and intelligent man will do the most irrational thing. History is replete with numerous examples.
In 1963, John Profume, War Minister in the Harold Macmillian Cabinet in the UK, fell in love with a call girl, Christine Keeler, when he saw her climbing nude out of a swimming pool, thereby putting an end to Profumo’s political career. For Cleopatra, Caesar risked his empire and Antony lost his power and life. Josephine made Napoleon her virtual “prisoner.” What is love if it is not madness?
Sex is such a powerful urge, which drives the saints and mystics mad even when they claim to have renounced all the worldly desires. However, one cannot lose sight of three components of “consummate love”: intimacy, passion and commitment.
GUR RATTAN PAL SINGH, Chandigarh

Published  in The Tribune
Sunday, October 3, 2010, Chandigarh, India

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