Fulfill or Extinguish Desire?

[Rhizomatic]

Broadly speaking, do you think that it is better (for the happiness of the individual and/or community) to indulge/ fulfill one's desires or to extinguish them? Why?

If you don't think that one approach is generally better than the other, what makes the difference in your mind? Are there certain situations where one is superior to the other? What are the criterion for judging whether to pursue or eliminate a desire?

 

[Gjallarhorn]

It's better to master one's desires, not simply deny, suppress, or indulge in them. When you are hungry, eat. When you are angry, vent. If you need to, do it, but don't overdo it.

 

[Sunstone]

Don't nurse desires. Don't drag them out beyond their natural life. But fulfill them so long as they do not harm others.

 

[YmirGF]

Fulfill. The idea being if you are overdoing or indulging your desires it is because you have not yet fulfilled them. Do it, savor the moment, then move on to the next item of interest.

 

[Many Sages One Truth]

It's extreme to over-indulge, and it's extreme to over-suppress. A happy medium between the two is needed. Indulge when it harms none, and suppress when it does harm.

 

[atanu]

Broadly speaking, do you think that it is better (for the happiness of the individual and/or community) to indulge/ fulfill one's desires or to extinguish them? Why?

If you don't think that one approach is generally better than the other, what makes the difference in your mind? Are there certain situations where one is superior to the other? What are the criterion for judging whether to pursue or eliminate a desire?

Desire to extinguish desire is yet another desire. It is difficult to assess whether there is choice in the matter or not. Thoughts about control or guilt happen after the fact. When one is able to control a desire, that also is subduing one desire with another one. Thus, it is not clear whether a desire is successfully subdued or whether it plays itself out and is replaced by another and we think that we subdued it. It creates more guilt, If one decides to subdue a desire and then fails. Further, it is difficult to assess as to why a mind-body exists. Who knows the reason? What if the reason for existence of a mind-body was to fulfill desire?

Considering all these, i think, it may be the primary task to understand as to who has the desire and why?

 

[sojourner]

Why should we desire to fulfill or extinguish?

 

[elmarna]

"if it feels good do it" is not a good policy. The times of the 60's granted us the great experiment to provide us with what it can do. Moderation is not without us. It neither leaves the feelings smothered nor champions a self endulgent world left unchecked.
I am not just talking feelings ,but in any extreme-from Nazis where policies left desires of thinking go to far to the forms in history that felt doing something like giveing blankets full of small pox to native americans to rid the world of "heatens. Are just as likely to be a course of action that can not bring to life a reasonable way to live or see our desires supported.
I tend to not use the words-"what I want" BUT consider the avenues of-"what I need".
It lets my desire be managed where it should & i am satisfied in letting my desires be placed in proper respective.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Fulfill as long as it doesn't purposely harm others (unless in need), or become addicting.

That's my opinion on it.

 

[Erebus]

I'm going to go with fulfil. Though I'm no longer a practitioner of LaVeyan Satanism (a religion encouraging hedonism and embracing human desire) it did allow me to overcome many of my hang-ups and guilt surrounding natural desire. I found that by embracing my desire and spending a few years of my life indulging them, they no longer hold as much power over me.
In my opinion you need to embrace your desires, you need to go through a period of overdoing it and then ideally you can grow past that and get on with life.

 

[Penumbra]

I view fulfilling desires as worthwhile, as long as those desires are attainable and to the benefit of yourself, others, or both.

For those that have unattainable desires, or desires that are harmful to their selves or others, it's probably preferable to try to address, fix, eliminate, modify, or avoid them.

 

[Me Myself]

A balance is good. The thing is that it also depends on desires. I believe it takes maturity and a lot of knowing one-self to know which to fulfill, how to fullfill, when to fulfill and how much to fulfill and the same with "extinguish". Though I think that more of a direct extinguish I would go to detachment and let it die in you.

To have less needs is to experience peace as a more persistent state. If instead of this you feel depressed, probably you must re-evaluate where your balance is.

Just my opinion.

Blessings to All

 

[Landerage]

In philosophy, the desire is different then the need, so every human being needs food, water etc.. but the desire is something higher because only a human being have it, animals dont have any desire. Desire can be art, or the will to express oneself through the resources of the earth then recognize oneself within the made representation, what I learned is that desire comes from the soul and not the body and it should be fufilled because fufilling your desire brings a good lasting happiness since it comes from the soul, however fufilling a need brings a short happiness.

 

[Father Heathen]

Broadly speaking, do you think that it is better (for the happiness of the individual and/or community) to indulge/ fulfill one's desires or to extinguish them? Why?

If you don't think that one approach is generally better than the other, what makes the difference in your mind? Are there certain situations where one is superior to the other? What are the criterion for judging whether to pursue or eliminate a desire?

Moderation; indulge responsibly.

I don't understand why those who suggest suppressing all desire and attachment don't simply kill themselves, since that's the quickest route to their goal as they've essentially abstained from life itself anyway.