Why do we want something all the time and how to control it

We are trying to be happier

Desires have arisen and will continue to arise, but we behave as if there is a finite list of things, acquiring which we will ensure ourselves complete happiness and peace. Only if you start writing down all the things that you would like to have, you will not get a list of things that will make you happy. It is unlikely that your inner well-being depends so much on a new gadget or car.

Even if you fix the desires that arise during one day, it becomes clear that they are just an evolutionary function (safety! Variety! Fatty and sweet! Sex! Prestige! All at once!), And not the road to happiness and well-being.

We strive to relieve tension

We usually think of desires as something pleasant, because it is pleasant to dream of owning something. However, by listening to your feelings, you will notice that desire itself is associated with tension. And in an attempt to relieve this tension, we acquire this or that thing by sacrificing money, health, and sometimes self-respect.

To understand how much pain desires can cause, imagine that the parents promised to buy their child ice cream, and then changed their minds. The child has received nothing and has not lost anything, but the very desire without the possibility of satisfaction causes stress.

As soon as we convince ourselves that we want something, the pain can drag on for hours and days, and the point is no longer in the desired object, but in the tension that we cannot relieve in any way.

Learn to notice that desires pass quickly

It may seem to us that we are dreaming about some big expensive thing because it meets our deepest needs and goals, but in reality it is just the brain exclaims once again: “Yes! This! I want this!"

Try not to forget about this during bouts of desire, and you will avoid unnecessary waste. As soon as you notice that you want something, do not indulge in negotiations with yourself, trying to prove how much you need this thing. Tell yourself: "So, there was a desire number 10 223 235. It will not last long, but while it is here, I will not allow myself to be persuaded."