A desire is something to which one aspires.
Before entering fully into establishing the meaning of the term longing , we will proceed to determine its etymological origin. In this case, we can say that it is a word that derives from Latin, specifically, from the verb “anhelare”, which can be translated as “to breathe with difficulty”.
A desire is something that is desired intensely . It is about what you intend to enjoy. For example: “My desire is to finish my degree next year and then take a trip” , “You cannot live without desires: you need a goal that justifies your efforts” , “Having your own house is everyone's desire” .
Different types of longing
The longing can be directed at material or symbolic issues. A home , a car , certain clothes or a mobile phone (cell phone) are some of the most frequent desires. People who have these desires strive to raise the necessary money and purchase these products that, they believe, will bring them satisfaction.
Living certain experiences is also a desire of many individuals. Spending vacations in a paradisiacal place, obtaining an academic degree and growing professionally are among the most common wishes.
Longing can be associated with an intense desire.
The importance of affective
The deepest or most intense longings, however, are usually associated with the emotional . For parents , the main desire is usually for their children to grow up healthy and happy. A couple in love may long to spend their lives together.
In the same way, we cannot ignore the fact that, on some occasions and depending on the type of desire, it is easier to achieve or less so. So, for example, when we are talking about longing for something material, it is likely that it can end up being achieved because, at the end of the day, it is about getting money to be able to buy it.
However, when you long for feelings or something immaterial, it becomes difficult to achieve them. And longing, for example, to have a partner and live a “movie” love does not depend only on oneself but on many factors.
Longing as a goal
A human being begins to long for something when he believes that, once he has achieved what he longs for, he will experience great satisfaction. What one longs for, in this way, one does not have , at least in the present. That is why efforts are focused on achieving it.
Once the desire is fulfilled, it becomes an achievement. The person who longed to buy a house and manages to do so will feel enormous joy and this goal will no longer be a desire.
The concept in literature
There are numerous artists who have used the word in question to give titles to their different works. An example of this is the Canadian novelist, poet and singer Leonard Cohen (1934 – 2016). And in 2006 he published a collection of poems under the title “Book of Longing.”
In it he came to collect a series of poems that he wrote over two decades. In them he addresses everything from his fears and desires to his doubts or his ideas about issues such as youth, old age, love, passion...