Each man has his own desires; all do not possess the same inclinations.
—Persius (34–62 CE) Roman Satirist
If you don’t get everything you want, think of the things you don’t get that you don’t want.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Something must be done when you find an opposing set of desires of this kind well to the fore in your category of strong desires. You must set in operation a process of competition, from which one must emerge a victor and the other set be defeated.
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Events are influenced by our very great desires.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Man is an animal which, alone among the animals, refuses to be satisfied by the fulfillment of animal desires.
—Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) Scottish-American Inventor, Engineer, Academic
The distance between success and failure can only be measured by one’s desire.
—Unknown
There are no better masters than poverty and wants.
—Dutch Proverb
You are what your deep driving desire is.
—The Upanishads Sacred Books of Hinduism
You can have anything you want—if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, have anything you desire, accomplish anything you set out to accomplish—if you will hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
Opportunity makes desire.
—Dutch Proverb
Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
From the desert I come to thee, On a stallion shod with fire; And the winds are left behind In the speed of my desire.
—Bayard Taylor (1825–78) American Poet, Travel Writer, Translator
A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man.
—John Adams (1735–1826) 2nd US President, Founding Father, Statesman
It is said that desire is a product of the will, but the converse is in fact true: will is a product of desire.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
Everything is perfect in the universe—even your desire to improve it.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying “Amen” to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire and many things to fear.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
The desire of power in excess caused angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess caused man to fall; but in charity is no excess, neither can man or angels come into danger by it.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
The desire of appearing clever often prevents our becoming so.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Let us train our minds to desire what the situation demands.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
If you desire a thing, picture it clearly and hold the picture steadily in mid until it becomes a definite thought-form.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
A desire arises in the mind. It is satisfied immediately another comes. In the interval which separates two desires a perfect calm reigns in the mind. It is at this moment freed from all thought, love or hate. Complete peace equally reigns between two mental waves.
—Sivananda Saraswati (1887–1963) Indian Hindu Spiritual Teacher
The battle is all over except the “shouting” when one knows what is wanted and has made up his mind to get it, whatever the price may be.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
It is much easier to suppress a first desire than to satisfy those that follow.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
In all ranks of life the human heart yearns for the beautiful; and the beautiful things that God makes are his gift to all alike.
—Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–96) American Abolitionist, Author
If men could regard the events of their own lives with more open minds, they would frequently discover that they did not really desire the things they failed to obtain.
—Andre Maurois (1885–1967) French Novelist, Biographer
Desire and force between them are responsible for all our actions; desire causes our voluntary acts, force our involuntary.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
My definition of financial freedom is simple: it is the ability to live the lifestyle you desire without having to work or rely on anyone else for money.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
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