Good morning Josh or whatever time it may be when you read this. I hope all is well with you today as you choose to celebrate Pride in whatever way(s) that you do.
Your essay raises many important questions about longing. It has been said that desire is the root of all evil, but is that really true? In some cases maybe, particularly if it borders on obsessions, narcissistic/sociopathic behavior and/or reveals a lack of patience, but I think it is human nature to want/need different things including stability, security, peace of mind, kindness, compassion, respect, fun, joy, laughter, and excitement.
In terms of relationships, longing manifests as a never ending search for connection, love, lust and community. While communities can be created around both people's demographics and shared interest, customs, traditions, values and beliefs, often times personality traits and dysfunctional behavior can undermine the elusive search to experience connection at least on a permanent basis. And without connection, love is fleeting at best and non-existent under the worst of circumstances. And so some/many people settle for lust. No doubt, it is difficult to reconcile the two within the same relationship, as they both fade away over time.
And then we have other types of longing including the ones which are the most pervasive in our society, the desire for money, power, control, influence, status, marketable skills and specialized knowledge, which many people have complex relationships with in and of themselves, and which reflect a certain amount of hubris and egotistical behavior.
Unfortunately, most of us to varying degrees neglect the one thing which is essential for us to both survive and thrive -- the pursuit of health and well-being. Imagine how different our society would operate if this was people's top priority instead of getting rich and embracing all the different types of addictions that come with that.
Good morning Josh or whatever time it may be when you read this. I hope all is well with you today as you choose to celebrate Pride in whatever way(s) that you do.
Your essay raises many important questions about longing. It has been said that desire is the root of all evil, but is that really true? In some cases maybe, particularly if it borders on obsessions, narcissistic/sociopathic behavior and/or reveals a lack of patience, but I think it is human nature to want/need different things including stability, security, peace of mind, kindness, compassion, respect, fun, joy, laughter, and excitement.
In terms of relationships, longing manifests as a never ending search for connection, love, lust and community. While communities can be created around both people's demographics and shared interest, customs, traditions, values and beliefs, often times personality traits and dysfunctional behavior can undermine the elusive search to experience connection at least on a permanent basis. And without connection, love is fleeting at best and non-existent under the worst of circumstances. And so some/many people settle for lust. No doubt, it is difficult to reconcile the two within the same relationship, as they both fade away over time.
And then we have other types of longing including the ones which are the most pervasive in our society, the desire for money, power, control, influence, status, marketable skills and specialized knowledge, which many people have complex relationships with in and of themselves, and which reflect a certain amount of hubris and egotistical behavior.
Unfortunately, most of us to varying degrees neglect the one thing which is essential for us to both survive and thrive -- the pursuit of health and well-being. Imagine how different our society would operate if this was people's top priority instead of getting rich and embracing all the different types of addictions that come with that.