Why do we want what we cannot have, and yet discard those things that are readily available to us?

I think to an extent this is a cultural thing, although it infects more cultures than just our local (U.S.) one. Things (money, objects, people, whatever) are seen to be a sign of success to many, and the action of amassing these things is usually miscontstrued as giving our lives meaning and providing us with self-worth. Unfortunately, in order for our lives to continue to have meaning, we continue our attempts to collect wealth, power, people, televisions, cars, houses, etc. The thing itself means nothing, it’s the act of acquiring it.

Life is short enough, and struggling to earn the type of living that is necessary to collect stuff is, in effect, trading your life for money & things. The happiest people I know are the ones who get out there and DO things, rather than GET things.

ever heard the phrase “the grass is always greener on the other side”? that’s it in a nut shell; people have a hard time being satisfied if they think they’re missing out on something better. To what extent tends to vary by culture and belief structure but it tends to always be there to some degree.

There’s also a level of competitiveness involved as well. Some people just can’t handle the idea that the person next door has something they don’t (even if they don’t really want it).

One of the highest human goals is to be successful in this life. Success is “rising” to the “next level,” socially, financially etc. Part of the thrill of that is “the challenge.” The easily gained does not hold much of a challenge and its value is not considered equal to an item more difficulty to attain. Soon, if the desire goes to far, everyday blessings are scorned and the beauty of those blessings lost.

Sometimes the drive for success goes into overdrive and results in – shall we say – excessive greed. Most people don’t enjoy being around people who want more and more, so such peole are “discarded” from the social circles of others.

Because the human race isn’t as bright as it likes to think it is.

Because humans are selfish.

Ah, sweet mysteries of life….

Do we? Seems to me that most people are very, very attached to what they have. And if you believe what most people around here write, they believe you oughtta keep your hands off anything that you do not have (and should not have).

I bet you’d get a lot out of it if you studied some Buddhist philosophy.

There are almost as many reasons for this as there are people. Some of the more common reasons are:
* An inability to see life for what it is, a journey from which no one returns alive.
* An attempt to assuage negative feelings about oneself.
* Inability to differentiate “need” from “want.”
* Inability to “center” oneself and learn to not want.

Many of us lack a set of clear and realistic goals
We tend to run after transiently appealing goals and then discover they provide no real satisfaction.

Figure out what goals are worthy of your efforts and commitment.
In relationships: do you want sex with an endless list of partners to prove something or are you looking for that someone who shares your values and goals and is prepared to invest in building a stable loving relationships.

You can figure out how this applies to acquisition of material trappings of wealth or success.

Figure out what you need to be happy and fulfilled. Go after those things with a passion.

I’m sure the collective will come up with many sensible explanations of why we want what we cannot have and discard what’s readily available. Buddhist writings describe this simply as the “nature of man”.

What it do know came to me in one of my brief moments of clarity when I hit rock bottom after my first wife left me.

There is nothing on this planet that you “own” or possess that cannot be taken if someone wants it bad enough. It made me question the folly of endlessly striving to obtain someone or some thing that may very well be lost in the next waking moment.

I realized over time that the only thing I truly possess is my peace of mind.

It can never be taken away or lost.
It can only be abandoned or exchanged for “angry ghosts and demons”.

Because of the challenge to always obtain “more, more, more”; like an addict to their drug..