Life is driven by desire. It could be argued to be the single most formative influence in the natural world as well as the artificial world that humanity has made for itself. You would think we would have a handle on such a fundamental aspect of human experience, no?
Part of why we lack understanding or control of our desires is simple misunderstanding. We mistake them for emotions and believe their behaviour emergence as passing or arbitrary, just something that happens to us.
Your every biological behaviour is driven by desire. From your visual scanning pattern to your gut level reactions to human interaction, to your unconscious sense of what should happen when going through the course of your day. It precedes even your conscious thought, and every habit of conscious thought you have learned or otherwise acquired is shaped by this first most primary influence.
So what is the public consensus regarding desire these days?
It tends to go back and forth between suppress it and revel in it.
It gets us in trouble.
I think it depends on which community you ask.
Would it be fair to say that it’s generally negative?
Yes. Since it is such a fundamental, formative influence on human consciousness, what would the impact of a negative view of desire be on us?
Guilt.
Fighting our nature.
Twisted, could result in things like pedo priests.
Would it improve our judgment to view desire in this way? Make our opinions or assessment of life as a whole any more wise?
No.
Now let’s consider distress. Distress is defined as a failure to adapt to current conditions. Whatever it is you are experiencing, if you are in such a state that you can’t handle it, you are in distress. How common is distress in our current advanced, enlightened society?
Very.
Highly.
Since we handle problems so very well, what is the commonly supported solution to this wide spread distress?
Relaxation?
Therapy.
Beer or wine.
Retail therapy.
So do these solutions do well in curbing distress? Do we have it under control for the most part?
Not always, usually it’s a temporary fix.
Often times drunkenness just adds a great deal more distress.
Or you become dependent on whatever you’re using as a substitute.
In Japan, they are using such individuals to man the nuclear clean up efforts. Yes, that’s inhumane. They might argue it’s necessity. No one else wants to or is deserving of such duty.
I’ve heard there are older people who are volunteering, thinking they won’t live long enough to get cancer anyway. Some of their educated elderly have taken on management roles in this effort, as things like shortened lifespan and sterility are less of a concern for them.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~