Concupiscence: Mistaken Desire
"Seek what you seek, but it's not where you are seeking it."
As human beings, we are driven by desire whether we admit it or not. We do those things that we think will make us happy and fulfill us. I like the idea Augustine presents in the passage I just quoted: it's okay (totally normal, in fact) to look for happiness and seek it out, but the problem comes when we don't realize what it is that truly makes us happy in the long run.
I would go so far as to say that a lot of times we look to gratify our immediate desires, and we ignore the long-term consequences of our actions. I think that mistaken desire may often come from a lack of a bigger perspective. Once Augustine gave his life over to God, for example, then his desires changes a little. He gained a different perspectives, and so he interpreted his desires differently.
I admire Augustine in many ways for his wisdom and discernment, although I recognize that he didn't have it all together either. He struggled with putting into practice some of his views. But I think even putting down on paper new ideas and thoughts is an important part of the process in which we grow, learn, and evolve emotionally.
I hope that as I mature I will be able to interpret more and more intelligently. What are the things that will make me truly happy, and what are the things that will cause me pain in the long run?
Now that I think about it, this seems like a quite selfish approach to life. What kind of person will I be if I am constantly preoccupied with my own happiness and well-being? But this is where Augustine's wisdom comes in. Often, the things that make me happy are the things that I do for other people. Doing things for other people is not always easy, being selfless is not always easy. In the long run though, putting others first is the most satisfying way to live.
Also, despite looking out for ourselves all the time, sad and awful things happen. Evil/pain cannot be avoided in this world, unfortunately. I don't think I need to go out looking specifically for suffering, because suffering just IS in this world, and I will be affected by it. So why not, in the mean time, seek to satisfy the desires God has given me, within the context of an eternal perspective.
I hope people don't read this and conclude that stuff like murder and rape are okay, as a long as they fulfill a desire and make a person happy. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm just saying that desires are okay, and seeking to satisfy them is okay, as long as we seek to be satisfied with wisdom and insight and morality.
As human beings, we are driven by desire whether we admit it or not. We do those things that we think will make us happy and fulfill us. I like the idea Augustine presents in the passage I just quoted: it's okay (totally normal, in fact) to look for happiness and seek it out, but the problem comes when we don't realize what it is that truly makes us happy in the long run.
I would go so far as to say that a lot of times we look to gratify our immediate desires, and we ignore the long-term consequences of our actions. I think that mistaken desire may often come from a lack of a bigger perspective. Once Augustine gave his life over to God, for example, then his desires changes a little. He gained a different perspectives, and so he interpreted his desires differently.
I admire Augustine in many ways for his wisdom and discernment, although I recognize that he didn't have it all together either. He struggled with putting into practice some of his views. But I think even putting down on paper new ideas and thoughts is an important part of the process in which we grow, learn, and evolve emotionally.
I hope that as I mature I will be able to interpret more and more intelligently. What are the things that will make me truly happy, and what are the things that will cause me pain in the long run?
Now that I think about it, this seems like a quite selfish approach to life. What kind of person will I be if I am constantly preoccupied with my own happiness and well-being? But this is where Augustine's wisdom comes in. Often, the things that make me happy are the things that I do for other people. Doing things for other people is not always easy, being selfless is not always easy. In the long run though, putting others first is the most satisfying way to live.
Also, despite looking out for ourselves all the time, sad and awful things happen. Evil/pain cannot be avoided in this world, unfortunately. I don't think I need to go out looking specifically for suffering, because suffering just IS in this world, and I will be affected by it. So why not, in the mean time, seek to satisfy the desires God has given me, within the context of an eternal perspective.
I hope people don't read this and conclude that stuff like murder and rape are okay, as a long as they fulfill a desire and make a person happy. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm just saying that desires are okay, and seeking to satisfy them is okay, as long as we seek to be satisfied with wisdom and insight and morality.
posted by Christine at 8:54 AM
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