The chase is perhaps the best example of where rational humans enter the realm of obsessive, manipulative, and non-sensical behavior. Level headed individuals find themselves unable to focus, always thinking about a person, and intensely staring at their WhatsApp waiting for a blue tick and reply.
It’s important to note that you can chase someone without lusting for them and vice versa — though they are often intertwined. The critical distinction between lust and the chase is the triggering of rewards-based behavior, i.e., the desire to pursue a goal (the person). For example, I lust for the Red Woman, but I have no interest in being her Lord of Light.
The chemical most responsible for driving this internal reaction is Dopamine.
