Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

desire seeks what it lacks

desire_seeks_what_it_lacks

A motif of the Sacred Love and Longing family, within the sub-family Lovesickness and Longing. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

2 occurrences

1 traditions


greek

  • Symposium Symposium / SYMPOSIUM / INTRODUCTION. / SYMPOSIUM; lines 2102-2198 confidence: high

    "desires that which he has not already, and which is future and not present... of which he is in want"

    The argument repeatedly states that desire or love is directed toward what is absent, unpossessed, future, and wanted.

    read in the book
  • Symposium Symposium / SYMPOSIUM / INTRODUCTION. / SYMPOSIUM; lines 2102-2198 confidence: high

    Socrates states that desire seeks what is not already possessed, what is future or absent, and what is wanted.

    The argument repeatedly defines love and desire as directed toward what is absent, future, wanted, or not possessed.

    read in the book