fyi/wakefield/philosophy

Exploration Instructions: Desire

Part 1. Set aside 30 minutes in the morning. Take a sheet of paper and list the things that you notice yourself desiring. These may range from material objects (e.g., new shoes) to non-material objects (e.g., friendship). This list is only for you, so be honest with yourself, and don’t worry about what anyone else might think of your desires. You might find that, while some things come to you quickly, other things you think of only later. So, carry this list around with you as you go about your day, and jot down any additional things that you notice yourself desiring. Whenever you notice yourself desiring something, write it down.

I want...

to sleep
to take a shower and brush teeth and feel clean
to skip class
to go to class

to have not gone to class
to check my phone for messages from the girl I am interested in
to text my friends
to get coffee and something for lunch
to yell at people standing around blocking the stairs after class
to go to the library
to go home
to read a book

to do homework
to eat
to talk and hang out with my friends
to be lazy
to do this homework instead of some other
to read a book
to avoid talking to my roommate

to still be talking with my friends
to not feel guilty or dreadful over a class I'm not doing well in
to talk with family
to drive around for fun
to play games, to do my homework, and to do neither
to keep looking at my phone because I don't want to sleep yet

Part 2. At the end of the day, look over your list. Start to identify which things you desire for the sake of other things (the things you value instrumentally) and which things you desire for the sake of themselves (the things you value intrinsically). See if you can identify relationships between the things that you’ve listed. Are some of the things that you desire instrumental to other things that you desire? For example, perhaps you observed yourself desiring new running shoes and desiring to become healthy. Maybe you desire the new running shoes for the sake of becoming healthy. (Alternatively, maybe you desire them for the sake of looking cool or impressing your friends.)

I want ... because ...

to sleep

I don't want to perform my responsibilities yet
I feel tired

to take a shower and brush teeth and feel clean

It will feel good
If I don't, it will be unpleasurable for other people and I will feel guilt or embarrassment

to skip class

I don't want to perform my responsibilities yet
I don't want to spend the time in class
I feel tired

to go to class

I might miss something that happens
My teammate and friends might miss me
Regular lack of attendance will probably get me in trouble
I will feel some small amount of pride for doing what is responsible

to have not gone to class

I didn't miss anything
My friends weren't there and my teammate didn't want to be
The professor was not paying attention anyway

to check my phone for messages from the girl I am interested in

I want to feel attraction
The possibility of love is exciting because it would make me satisfied
The possibility of a relationship is exciting because it would make me happy

to text my friends

Socializing makes me feel happy
Socializing makes me feel connected
Socializing makes me feel safe
Socializing makes me feel normal
Socializing makes me feel comfortable

to get coffee and something for lunch

they would taste good
I would feel less tired

to yell at people standing around blocking the stairs after class

I am impatient
I want to be home sooner
Their ignorance makes me feel cynical

to go to the library

I will feel and be productive
Being productive will make me less stressed
I will feel relieved, relaxed, and have space to do something that makes me happy

to go home

I want to feel comfort from being in my home

to read a book

I want to learn things
I need to do something with my time

to do homework

I will be less stressed

to eat

It will taste good and make me happy

to talk and hang out with my friends

It will make me happy

to be lazy

It will delay the exertion of work but will not leave me less stressed

to do this homework instead of some other

It is less stressful than the others

to read a book

Like before

to avoid talking to my roommate

Some social interactions are displeasing when they are not chosen

to still be talking with my friends

to not feel guilty or dreadful over a class I'm not doing well in

to talk with family

to drive around for fun

to play games, to do my homework, and to do neither

I don't want to do my homework
I should do my homework
games have made me feel jaded

to keep looking at my phone because I don't want to sleep yet

(i) Plato thinks that people tend to value money, pleasure, and social status too much. He thinks that most people are ruled by appetite or spirit. Further, he seems to think that what is responsible for this is external pressure that distracts you from what is really valuable. Reflect on whether that is true in your own life. To what extent are your desires your own? To what extent have they been shaped by your upbringing, social pressures, or popular culture? To what extent are they really for prestige or social status? To what extent are your ambitions driven by a need to meet other people’s expectations or approval? Is that a problem? (Is Plato right here?)

(ii) Consider the things in your list that you circled, i.e., the things that are the best candidates for your ultimate ends. Now imagine other ultimate ends that people might have. Plausibly, some ultimate ends are better than others. How do you think that we can decide this? What can we use to determine whether an ultimate end is best? Or do you think that all ultimate ends are equally good? (If my ultimate end is accurately counting the blades of grass on the Northeastern quad each day, is that equally as good as someone else’s ultimate end of gaining wisdom or loving all living things or whatever else?)

Most of my desires boil down to wanting to feel a few different types of happy without too much stress. Most of the external, socially enforced desires manifest themselves in pride or could be likened to it. If I am feeling happy for achieving a goal, and that goal is something I would share having achieved with other people, it's probably pride and relates to my environment. Some things that make me feel good are not in this category of pride. Eating tasty food or having sex is in this category. Some foods and sex come with strings attached and might have a social component, but their regular appearances in our lives do not warrant sharing and are not related to social pressure. Sometimes there's a separate feeling of excitement or adrenaline from achieving something that makes me happy. Sports, exercise, and play in general can spark some of this for me. I love skiing, hiking, and playing games, but I don't need anyone else to be there with me or to watch me do it or know that I did it at all for me to enjoy doing it. If everyone on earth disappeared I would still go skiing. I have a couple more hobbies like this that are genuinely fun for me and me alone.

My duties are in service of society. I work, study, and often socialize exclusively

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