Feels, Fhotography, Friday 10.18.2019

Desire

What is desire? People believe that desire is a manifestation of ongoing yearning for something. The object of individuals is to motivate actions. Yet, desires themselves tend to have bad connotations. Naturally, anyone can be motivated for the wrong reasons, but specifically, Desires have always been lumped with topics like Lust or Greed such as in Dante’s Inferno. These people have an unquenchable appetite for the desire of the flesh, money, or power.

The question is: are desires a bad thing and if so why? Is it because we as a human race think we are superior to our thoughts and emotion, therefore, should be able to control them? Of course, human emotion is not simply black and white as we are far more complex for a one answer fits all types of approach. Still, I understand that desire can be a motivating factor such as the desire to become wealthy, the desire in loving, the desire to crash into your bed after a long day of LA traffic, overcrowding of people, and day to day living expenses..ehem Yes, the natures of these factors are understood. It’s simple enough to want money, it is simple enough to be wanted or be loved, it is simple enough to rest when you are tired. Therefore, it is ok to desire since it is just you more or less right?

 Yet, most desires or wants are typically conditional. Thus, adding another layer. This is where things can get messy. Going back to our desires of wealth, love, rest once we add conditions to them the result might manifest into something different. What do I mean by the condition? Think of a compromise something must be met for the other to occur. In the case of the desire to be wealthy, we first ask why? There can be all sorts of answers and wealth itself if it is somewhat suggestive since wealth can mean how much money earned to someone versus how much money invested, or even how much money someone wants, the list goes on. I will add my personal belief is wealth comes from contentment where the person has enough to live and enjoy life, yet, does not have enough to be demotivated from working/ earning money.

Going back to wealth as a desire, the desired wealth can be that very reason a person wakes up at 5 am for a 7 am class for a college degree or for a job that they are trying to advance further in. I believe that is beautiful and most others probably admirable or insane. However, what if their reason was to drown themselves out of life by avoiding friends and/or family and hiding it at work? Or in the workplace, they want to push everybody down so they can make it to the top. Again, there is no black and white when it comes to desire. This example is a straightforward situation where the actions are seemingly one-sided. Yet, it characterizes the issues that can be associated with desires from one point to another.

The reality is there is a multitude of desires types and according to the “https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/desire/” the three-section being theories, varieties, and controversies of desires. Theories focusing on the Actions, pleasure, and attention to name a few. Whereas, varieties look at the state of the desire such as the strong vs weaker desires or for Objects versus affairs; a more comparative viewpoint of desires. Lastly, controversies deal with topics in the motivation, how the desire fits in the specific scheme of situation, and where the desires originate into the reasons.

So then why do we see desire typically as a bad thing? In my initial impression, I see Desires as an intense yearning for love or lust. Granted I have grown around a culture that enforces either self-control or releasing yourself from worldly possessions from the Church as well as being surrounded by family members in the Buddhist doctrine. Both have a strong similarity with respect to the topic of desire. I believe desires are a normal human phenomenon. That his not to say a person that has a desire to be with X person when there are already committed with another or a desire to hurt others is acceptable. I believe that it is this very fact that desires have a bad connotation. Because guns kill all guns are bad and therefore should be ban is this notion I am getting. Seem similar? A people I believe it is difficult to be just about the overall topic. Continuing with desires is it ok to desire anything so long as it does not negatively affect others around you? I believe it should be ok.

Therefore, desires themselves can be a good thing as the basics physiology of people are for lack of a better term are pumps for chemicals that determine more less how we interact with the world. The reason for the manifestation is fear which preventative natures are the people can be manipulated by their internal feelings or can associate certain behaviors with reactions. I believe this is where humanity creates a justification for certain reactions. Most I would say is for the benefit of society meaning that the illusions are made to prevent people from wrongdoing