It is through desire that the most important, non-essential needs of the human being come to the surface. Although these may not seem vital, humans can tie the success of their existence to the satisfaction of these needs. Disregard or failure to satisfy the desire may result in long-term consequences that burden the human being.
What is a desire?
A wish is the expression of the greatest human will. A wish is the expression of the greatest human will. The sphere of meaning of desire must be distinguished from other human urges such as drives or situational affects. Hunger, thirst, or appetite are not desires. The first two are drives, the latter is an urge born of the situation. Desire, however, is more long-term than the urges mentioned. It is an image in the mind. The desire is a leitmotif to which the striving of the individual is subjected. Two kinds of urges appear in the desire. On the one hand, the desire can arise from one’s own desire. On the other hand, it can testify to an understanding of the demands of the environment. The wish is at first still an unreal conception and can become true only in the future. From the fulfillment of the wish, the wisher hopes for a satisfaction of his motives. A person who wishes for harmonious family happiness expects a deeply felt sense of security and lasting joy when the wish is fulfilled. Another person who wants to be a king suspects that he will feel powerful, invincible, and glorious should the wish take shape. Thus, a wish is always accompanied by expectations of something better. The wisher promises himself a relief of his long lasting desire. From this relief, a plateau of satisfaction is ultimately to be attained.
Function and task
Desire formation occurs mostly for irrational reasons, often influenced by the subconscious. Thus, hidden tendencies, inclinations and needs express themselves in the desire. The subconscious or at least not always immediately accessible is transferred into the conscious. Wishes can in many cases be replaced with the word objective. The one who has a wish perceives it as a high or highest goal. However, the desirer may also develop other desires along the way. These exist incidentally as less important goals. A wish does not exclude another one. The wish, the goal drives the person and provides a template into which he can fit his life. Accordingly, desires are primarily meaningful to man. The desirer receives a meaning of life from the desire. A heart‘s desire can cause many other aspects of life to be subordinated to it, including doubts, musings, or identity crises. The wisher knows what he wants. Accordingly, he can focus better. Since he also pursues other, smaller wishes at the same time, he does not stop pursuing other goals. Thus, a web of desires is formed. Wishful thinking enables a person to envision a potential future. It helps the person to develop a sense of the later. When the wishful person has a wishful vision for the future, he or she is less fearful of losing the passing time. The wish can not only answer or cover the person’s questions about meaning, but also consolidates the person’s sense of time.
Diseases and ailments
Man can not only cherish different desires. He can also indulge in two desires that are mutually exclusive. A person can equally desire to be a good person and to do harm to another person. In such cases, it is often not only reason but also affect that decides whether to act on the desires. The decision can subsequently burden the person in various ways. When desires overlap, the person’s need cannot be adequately satisfied by his choice and causes frustration. In addition, some desires also clash with value systems such as moral principles and state legal systems. A person who desires money but does not have a large income might counterfeit that money. However, by doing so, he commits a crime according to the law and is legally prosecuted for acting on a wish. So some desires have to be suppressed and accumulate as martyring disappointments. In particularly serious cases, unfulfilled wishes lead to disillusionment and self-doubt.The person struggles with his inability or with fate. This perceived failure can easily end in depression or turn into aggressive behavior, depending on the character. In addition, with life desires there is the risk that all other life contents are subordinated to the desire. Full concentration on the career leads to neglect of the partner or the children. In addition, hobbies and free development suffer from the stubborn pursuit of the one desired goal. Desirees with such a blinkered view often tend to forget the environment. They sometimes move in a world of their own, which submits to the wish according to its laws. The following symptoms and clinical pictures can result from unfulfilled wishful thinking: Disappointment, self-doubt, reduction of self-esteem, aggressive behavior, disadvantaging other areas of life, frustration, anger, restlessness, depression, loss of reality. For a healthy approach to desires, it is important to agree on a balance between doggedness and inaction.
