Desires are what
Plato said should be
controlled by the temperance and
reason of our
soul. But why? What is so bad about capturing, obtaining, acheiving, or
fulfilling one's desires?
When a desire is satisfied it is understood that the pleasure that ensues is beyond anything explainable in words. It is an emotion that all of us enjoy and strive to repeat, and this journey to repeat was what Plato feared most. In essence the journey is nothing but an establishment of greed, which is the poison that plagues the soul of every man in society. After one desire is satisfied, a man expects another one to be satisfied as well, as well as another and another. But what, if for one instant, those desires could not be satisfied with the conditions at hand?
Man has proven that he will do anything to get what he wants if it is not easily acheived. Take, for instance, the United States of America. Today the U.S. has decided to attack the Taliban forces in Afghanistan simply because they are harboring a terrorist leader that they wish to have in their custody. Now think about that for one second. The United States of America has satisfied almost every attainable desire in their short run as a nation. Today the States are not able to capture one man, and that so called unattainable desire seems to be the only reason for its existence.
Let's tone down the example a little bit and look at something like that in one man. If a man is married to a young wife who has dinner waiting for him when he comes home every day for a week, it is assumed that he will get it the next week if timely possible. But what if the wife decides that she doesn't want to do that any more. In fact, she wishes that the husband would cook once and a while. Now this man has tasted dinner for the last week and it's something that he has grown accustomed to and desires every day after work. What would this man most likely do? I, myself, as many men would also do, would try to con my way into having her cook by telling her that "I'm too tired to do it" or "I don't have time after days like this." I would do this because I want that dinner, and I don't want to have to make it myself. I want to satisfy my desire by any means necessary so that I can feel that pleasure every day of my life. So what does that mean to you?
Desire takes over every man, and sometimes he doesn't even know about it. Just remember to take notice. Be aware of your surroundings and your actions, and know why you're doing them because your desires may be conquering your reasoning, and reason is what tells you what is right or wrong, not deisre. Desire will wreak havoc over your body until nothing else in your life matters except for that single feeling of pleasure
"Cogito, igitur, sum."