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In My Mind



The most obvious component of desire is thought. Desire is a thought. It is the thought: “I want….” But it is also more than just this thought. It is a special kind of thought that has the power to move us because it becomes associated with emotions, the second component of desire, and finally with drive, the third component, which has the potential to result in action. Desire is a particular kind of thought that is more compelling than most other thoughts because it has emotions and drive attached to it.

To the ego, success is satisfaction of its desires. Being able to make life comply with its desires is its strongest desire and its biggest fantasy. It doesn’t seem to notice that life rarely does conform to our desires, even when we do everything that is supposed to bring us what we desire. That doesn’t keep the ego from desiring and pursuing what it desires. Desires structure most people’s lives because most people listen to their thoughts and act on their desires, most of which come from the ego.

Having desires and dreams gives the ego something to do. It gives our life structure. What will I do today? I’ll go after what I want. End of story. No need for further questioning. They also keep us focused on the mental world, where plans are made for getting what we want and fantasies are created that drive those plans forward. All this mental activity keeps our attention off the deeper questions and gives us a pseudo reason for being. It would be one thing if this strategy brought us happiness, but its lack of success at doing this eventually causes us to question the value of our desires. If life isn’t about desire-fulfillment, then what is it about?

From Anatomy of Desire by Gina Lake

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