Who Needs Lust if you have Love?

We often think we should separate love and lust, but isn't  a little lust necessary to keep a loving relationship going?

Our Love is so passionate!

Put  a few ladies together in a group text and the possibilities are endless. Women will dissect any topic if given the chance, and will at some point discuss life, career love and anything in between. That's why it wasn't shocking when a friend recently asked me , "How much does passion and attraction matter in a relationship?" Even with a mix of dating statuses, the answers all seemed to point one way: Love needs lust, and lust needs love to last.
It's important to have both. in my view.  For some reason, many women think they have to choose between the loving guy that is faithful, trustworthy and caring and the guy that gets them all hot and bothered but that's all he does. That's just not the case. Of course many women have probably been in that space before where passion made them  do some crazy things and quickly realized that it can't be the end all be all in love. So then they go the other way looking for someone "safe" and realize that's not what they  want either.
Sure, as you mature, I think you learn quickly that just being attracted to someone will not sustain you. As you begin to get more serious and even begin a life together, you will need..... way more than a heightened libido to get through life's challenges. Many of women  want someone they  can also talk to about their dreams and passions in life, someone who will be a leader, a great parent, and the list goes on. At the point where your frontal lobe fully develops, I think is when the real life stuff starts to matter just a bit more.

Let's spice things up a little, with a little roll playing

But that also does not mean you should throw passion out  the window. It's really important too! Who really wants to be with someone they are no longer  physically attracted to or longing to be around? At the core of your instincts, sex and sexuality is a huge part of our mating process. To sustain healthy connections as you move into long-term relationships and marriages, it's essential to keep passion in the mix. As the years go on, passion can certainly wax and wane, but it's an important ingredient along with just loving another person to sustain. There will be times in your relationship where you will want to pull on both your physical attraction to one another and your deeper mental and emotional attraction.

I couldn't wait to get you alone!

I also like to think that sometimes physical attraction can develop from mental and emotional attraction also. Sure, you may not think of a prospective mate in the physical sense at first but you connect with them in  another way and then become attracted to them physically. Then there are some people you are attracted to right away and actually learn that they have more to offer as well.
The reality is, passion and attraction matters a whole lot, but it's just not the only thing you should focus on when choosing your mates.  as a man, with experience,  I can guarantee you that just chasing the passion will lead you running around in circles, making phone calls and texts at 2:00 am that you never meant to, situation-ships and much more. But when you consider both. When you think, "Am I attracted to this person, but also interested in this person?" You are raising the stakes of finding something long lasting instead of a fleeting tryst.

I'm coming along for more than just the memorable ride!

On the other hand, if you are only focused on the things that make someone an ideal "life partner," you could end up in a dull, unexciting relationship. A relationship without passion is a friendship with out lust or passion. Just like everything in life, it's  balance that is the key to knowing what's most important to you. So what are your thoughts? How much does red hot passion matter in your relationships?