Lessons for our time

[Moonbeam]

The Four Desires Driving All Human Behavior

Bertrand Russell’s magnificent Nobel prize acceptance speech.

getpocket.com

In this Nobel Prize acceptance speech delivered in 1950 he describes four desires that drive human behavior, drives which we can see plainly manifest in contemporary American society.

The list reeks of Donald Trump and why so many voted for him in my opinion.

1 "Acquisitiveness — the wish to possess as much as possible of goods, or the title to goods — is a motive which, I suppose, has its origin in a combination of fear with the desire for necessaries."

2 Rivalry But in fact, a great many men will cheerfully face impoverishment if they can thereby secure complete ruin for their rivals.

3. Vanity is a motive of immense potency. Anyone who has much to do with children knows how they are constantly performing some antic, and saying “Look at me.” “Look at me” is one of the most fundamental desires of the human heart. It can take innumerable forms, from buffoonery to the pursuit of posthumous fame.

4 The love of power In any autocratic regime, the holders of power become increasingly tyrannical with experience of the delights that power can afford. Since power over human beings is shown in making them do what they would rather not do, the man who is actuated by love of power is more apt to inflict pain than to permit pleasure.
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The question for me is why do people desire such things. Are these desires symptoms of something else. What is missing in life to provoke such needs?

 

[Jaskalas]

1 "Acquisitiveness — the wish to possess as much as possible of goods, or the title to goods — is a motive which, I suppose, has its origin in a combination of fear with the desire for necessaries."

I feel like that is not universal.
As I have no desire to simply carry more baggage.

2 Rivalry But in fact, a great many men will cheerfully face impoverishment if they can thereby secure complete ruin for their rivals.

I can understand heat of the moment. Emotional rage and outburst.
But it would not be logical to sacrifice oneself to harm another. If not pushed towards it, I would rather survive an opponent.
They could get me there, but I wouldn't want that.

3. Vanity is a motive of immense potency. Anyone who has much to do with children knows how they are constantly performing some antic, and saying “Look at me.” “Look at me” is one of the most fundamental desires of the human heart. It can take innumerable forms, from buffoonery to the pursuit of posthumous fame.

A terribly misplaced example. "Look at me" from a dependent / small child would be a signal for more attention and more affection. Not merely vanity.
I respect the trouble vanity brings, and will admit to caring what others think - at some fundamental level I cannot deny. Though I'll try to.

 

[Jaskalas]

4 The love of power In any autocratic regime, the holders of power become increasingly tyrannical with experience of the delights that power can afford. Since power over human beings is shown in making them do what they would rather not do, the man who is actuated by love of power is more apt to inflict pain than to permit pleasure.
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The question for me is why do people desire such things. Are these desires symptoms of something else. What is missing in life to provoke such needs?

Materialism is, I think, a learned behavior rather than some fundamental part of human nature.
While it is easy to slide into it, I cannot believe everyone is beholden to it.
I splurged today, $7 for cookie cutters. An extra item, but not needless. They are for an exact purpose, in preparing a holiday festive food.
Does it count for this purpose, I wonder?

Rivalry is social, and I think innate. More on that later(?).

Vanity sounds like it'd be your common message of self hate, as imprinted onto us as children by others. And you wouldn't be wrong there.

Love of power is complicated. So many reasons and motives. To break them down might take entire books and studies into psychology. Anything written here can only be a disservice to the effort at large. Surely. But the root might be a survival instinct trying to control two things. Scarcity of resources, and violence. Fear of being the victim of either. To want to shape one's own destiny, and often that will require shaping the destiny of others as well. The very notion of a nation is rooted there, is it not?

As each man is NOT an island, and our actions have consequences for others... example, live in an apartment. Multi family building. If a neighbor is reckless, drunk / drugged, etc... burns their place down. Yours would almost certainly burn as well. It is safety for your very life that you'd want responsible neighbors who are not going to pose an actual danger, in many ways. And if you cannot do that yourself, you organize a group that can.

This extends outward a lot. Also carries so many other reasons and motives. But perhaps the point is made. It is necessary for self survival, to think you need to try and shape the group as you see fit. From there we can get into bad actors, etc. But what ties Rivalry, Vanity, and Power together is connection. Of not being alone, and all our psyches brushing up against one another. Resulting in inevitable division and conflict.

 

[Moonbeam]

Materialism is, I think, a learned behavior rather than some fundamental part of human nature………

Glad you found the piece worthy of comment. I was away and just saw your posts. Perhaps I can reply tomorrow. Bed time just now.