The Three Reins That Control a Human Being

Human beings like to believe they are free. Free to choose, free to decide, free to walk away. Yet, if we look closely, every person is quietly guided by invisible reins—forces that pull, steer, and sometimes break us.
They say a human being is controlled by two reins: hunger and stubbornness.
Without hunger, we cannot survive.
Without stubbornness, we cannot endure.
But there is a third rein—one that is rarely spoken of, yet far more powerful than the other two.
Love.
Hunger: The Silent Commander
Hunger is the most honest force in human life. It does not negotiate. It does not care about pride, principles, or promises. When hunger speaks, everything else becomes quiet.
For hunger, a person wakes before dawn.
For hunger, a person bends, struggles, and compromises.
For hunger, dreams are postponed and dignity is sometimes traded.
People say, “I would never do that.”
But hunger has a way of changing “never” into “necessary.”
Ironically, while humans spend their lives chasing bread, there comes a point where bread begins to consume the human. The routine, the exhaustion, the endless chase for survival slowly eats away at joy, creativity, and peace.
We eat to live—but often end up living only to eat.
Stubbornness: The Fire That Refuses to Die
If hunger keeps us alive, stubbornness keeps us moving.
Stubbornness is the voice that says, “I will not give up.”
Sometimes it saves us.
Sometimes it destroys us.
History is full of people who reached greatness because they refused to bow. And it is equally full of people who lost everything because they refused to bend.
They say stubbornness can carry a man to the gallows—and still not let him surrender.
It is a strange force. It looks like strength, feels like courage, but often hides fear beneath it. Fear of being wrong. Fear of losing. Fear of admitting pain.
Stubbornness does not always ask whether the path is right. It only asks whether you are willing to suffer for it.
And Then Comes Love
Just when a human believes he understands himself—love enters.
Quietly. Softly. Without permission.
Love does not announce itself like hunger.
It does not burn like stubbornness.
It simply settles inside, changing everything without asking.
Suddenly, hunger loses its command.
Food is on the table, but the appetite is gone.
Suddenly, stubbornness loses its pride.
The strongest person becomes unsure, hesitant, vulnerable.
Love rewrites priorities without warning.
The Third Rein
Some people realize, too late, that they are not controlled by two reins—but by three.
Hunger.
Stubbornness.
And you.
And “you” are the hardest rein of all.
Because hunger hurts the body.
Stubbornness exhausts the mind.
But love—love unsettles the soul.
Sleepless Nights and Silent Days
Love steals sleep first.
A person lies in bed, eyes closed, mind wide awake. Conversations replay. Words unsaid echo louder than those spoken. The ceiling becomes a witness to thoughts that cannot be shared.
Then love steals hunger.
Meals become rituals without meaning. Food tastes the same whether sweet or bitter. The body eats, but the heart refuses nourishment.
Love does not announce what it is taking. It simply takes—slowly, gently, completely.
The War No One Sees
People assume humans are fighting the world.
In reality, most people are fighting themselves.
Smiles are worn like armor. Conversations stay polite. Daily life continues. But inside, there is noise—memories clashing with logic, hope arguing with reality.
The strongest battles are silent ones.
No audience.
No applause.
No victory parade.
Just survival.
Love Is Not Weakness
Love is often mistaken for weakness. It is not.
Love is a test.
It tests patience.
It tests restraint.
It tests whether someone can feel deeply and still function.
Love does not break people because it is fragile.
It breaks them because it is honest.
It exposes what hunger and stubbornness can hide.
When Control Is an Illusion
Hustle culture teaches us control. Discipline. Mastery.
Love laughs at control.
It does not respond to schedules, logic, or self-help advice. You cannot reason your way out of it. You cannot starve it away. You cannot overpower it with stubbornness.
Love stays—whether welcomed or not.
The Quiet Truth
A human can survive hunger.
A human can endure stubbornness.
But love demands something deeper.
It asks for surrender without guarantees.
And perhaps that is why it is the most powerful rein of all.
Because in love, humans do not lose control.
They give it away.
Final Thought
Hunger keeps us alive.
Stubbornness keeps us standing.
But love reminds us that we are human.
And sometimes, being human is not about winning or surviving—it is about feeling, even when it hurts.
Because in the end, the things that break us are often the same things that make life worth living.