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Desire Quotes

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Desire Quotes

“The end of nature sours all my material pleasures. The prospect of living in a genetically engineered world sickens me. And yet it is toward such a world that our belief in endless material advancement hurries us. As long as that desire drives us, here is no way to set limits.”

World Way Long Ends Desire Belief Pleasure Materials Future Limits Endless Advancement

Author:Bill McKibben

“Independence may be found in comparative as well as in absolute abundance; I mean where a person contracts his desires within the limits of his fortune.”

Wells May Mean Persons Desire Found Limits Absolutes Independence Fortune Abundance Contracts

Author:William Shenstone

“In the morning of life, before its wearisome journey, The youthful soul doth expand, in the simple luxury of being; It hath not contracted its wishes, nor set a limit on its hopes; The wing of fancy is unclipped, and sin hath not seared the feelings: Each feature is stamped with immortality, for all its desires are infinite, And it seeketh an ocean of happiness, to fill the deep hollow within.”

Soul Feelings Desire Wish Sin Simple Morning Journey Youth Limits Ocean Infinite Wings Luxury Features Immortality Fancy Hollow

Author:Martin Farquhar Tupper

“Reason cannot desire for man any condition other than that in which not only every individual enjoys the most absolute, unbounded freedom to develop himself out of himself, in true individuality, but in which physical nature, as well, need receive no other shaping by human hands than that which is given to her voluntarily by each individual, according to the measure of his wants and his inclinations, restricted only by the limits of his energy and his rights.”

Men Want Needs Humans Wells Reason Hands Desire Individual Energy Given Enjoy Rights Conditions Limits Absolutes Individuality Inclination Human Hands

Author:Wilhelm von Humboldt

“He who is himself crossed in love is able from time to time to master his passion, for he is not the creature but the creator of his own misery; and if a lover is unable to control his passion, he at least knows that he is himself to blame for his sufferings. But he who is loved without reciprocating that love is lost beyond redemption, for it is not in his power to set a limit to that other's passion, to keep it within bounds, and the strongest will is reduced to impotence in the face of another's desire.”

Ifs Knows Love Able Faces Desire Suffering Passion Lost Love Is Masters Lovers Creatures Limits Blame Misery Bounds Creator Redemption Strongest Impotence Love Is Lost

Author:Stefan Zweig

“The soul, when accustomed to superfluous things, acquires a strong habit of desiring things which are neither necessary for the preservation of the individual nor for that of the species. This desire is without limit, whilst those which are necessary are few in number and restricted within certain limits; but what is superfluous is without end.”

Soul Ends Desire Certain Individual Strong Numbers Habit Limits Species Acquire Preservation Accustomed Superfluous

Book:The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: The Guide for the Perplexed

“The error of the ignorant goes so far as to say that God's power is insufficient, because he has given to this Universe the properties which they imagine cause these great evils, and which do not help all evil-disposed persons to obtain the evil which they seek, and to bring their evil souls to the aim of their desires, though these, as we have shown, are really without limit.”

Persons Soul Helping Desire Universe Evil Given Causes Imagine Limits Aim Property Errors Ignorant Insufficient

Book:The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: The Guide for the Perplexed

“The growth of property and the desire for its transmission to children was, in reality, the moving power which brought in monogamy to insure legitimate heirs, and to limit their number to the actual progeny of the married pair.”

Children Wisdom Reality Moving Desire Politics Growth Numbers Economy Limits Married Property Liberalism Pairs Heirs Transmission Monogamy Progeny

Book:Ancient Society

Source: Ancient Society

“Does not any limit imposed upon one inspire a desire to go beyond it? Does not our keenest suffering arise when our free will is crossed?”

Doe Desire Suffering Inspire Limits Arise Free Will

Author:Honore de Balzac

“Any refusal to recognize reality, for any reason whatever, has disastrous consequences. There are no evil thoughts except one: the refusal to think. Don't ignore your own desires.... Don't sacrifice them. Examine their cause. There is a limit to how much you should have to bear.”

Thinking Should Reason Reality Desire Evil Causes Sacrifice Bears Limits Consequence Should Have Refusal Evil Thoughts

Book:Ayn Rand Novel Collection

Source: Ayn Rand Novel Collection

“It is a human circumstance that when we are born we have not yet come into existence. We are lured into our special human existence by a mothering presence that gratifies our innate urges to be suckled, held, rocked, caressed. But that same gratifying presence puts limits on desire and rations satisfaction. In this sense the mother is also the first lawgiver.”

Firsts Humans Mother Desire Born Existence Special Circumstances Limits Satisfaction Urges Innate Human Existence Mothering Rations

Book:Adolescence: The Farewell to Childhood

Source: Adolescence: The Farewell to Childhood

“Love is at the root of all healthy discipline. The desire to be loved is a powerful motivation for children to behave in ways thatgive their parents pleasure rather than displeasure. it may even be our own long-ago fear of losing our parents' love that now sometimes makes us uneasy about setting and maintaining limits. We're afraid we'll lose the love of our children when we don't let them have their way.”

Source: You Are Special: Words of Wisdom for All Ages from a Beloved Neighbor

“There is a saying in Tibetan that "at the door of the miserable rich man sleeps the contented beggar". The point of this saying is not that poverty is a virtue, but that happiness does not come with wealth, but from setting limits to one's desires, and living within those limits with satisfaction.”

Men Doe Desire Wealth Sleep Poverty Virtue Rich Doors Limits Satisfaction Happy Setting Settings Miserable Being Happy Beggar Rich Man Tibetan Miserable People

Author:Dalai Lama