The Phenomenon of Thin Desires: Understanding Modern Dissatisfaction
By
mitchbob
Not artisan, but a perfectly fine bagel. Hits the spot.
Summary
The article explores the concept of 'thin desires' as a defining experience of modern life - a pervasive but undefined hunger for something unattainable that leaves people perpetually wanting despite having more than they need. It contrasts this with 'thick desires' that are substantial, meaningful, and connected to genuine human needs and values. The piece examines how contemporary society cultivates these thin desires through consumer culture, social media, and modern capitalism, creating a cycle of dissatisfaction that prevents people from pursuing truly fulfilling lives.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledWe are living with a near-universal thin desire: wanting something that cannot actually be gotten, that we can't define, from a source that has no interest in providing it.
The defining experience of our age seems to be hunger. We're hungry for more, but we have more than we need.
Thin desires are the desires that consumer culture cultivates in us: desires for products, for status, for experiences that are packaged and sold to us.
Thick desires are substantial, meaningful, and connected to our deepest values and genuine human needs.
We're hungry and we don't have words to articulate why. We're hungry, and we're lacking and we're wanting.
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