-- What Truly Drives Us?
When we look at the media or social networks, they seem to be constantly overflowing with people's "desires." We are bombarded with talk of wanting to build wealth, living in luxury apartments, or becoming famous influencers. Yet, it feels as though the "impulses" underlying these desires are rarely discussed. Is it just my imagination?
Certainly, we all harbor various desires. We want to graduate from prestigious universities, marry the "ideal" partner, or live a long and healthy life. There is no end to this list of desires, and we tend to believe that these are the true goals of our lives.
However, think back to the most decisive moments in your life. Have you ever impulsively thrown away future stability because you felt you "must be with this person"? Or felt an urge to abandon a hard-won career to immerse yourself in something entirely different? In those moments, the list of "rational desires" we so carefully curated vanishes in an instant.
The philosopher Bertrand Russell pointed this out with great precision. He argued that the root of human action is not "rational desire," but something far more primitive and uncontrollable: "impulse."
So, why does the media focus so much on "desire" and so little on "impulse"? Perhaps it is because desires -- money, status, material goods -- are quantifiable and tradable; they are "manageable" for a consumer society. In contrast, the "impulse" that surges from within an individual is an unpredictable force that cannot be controlled or easily marketed.
Interestingly, Russell did not limit "impulse" to something destructive. He taught that artistic creation, the act of loving someone, and the passion for seeking unknown truths all spring from impulses that transcend logic.
We like to attach rational justifications to our actions, saying we do things "for the sake of X" (for profit, or for the future). But those reasons we call "desires" may, in fact, be nothing more than a "mere garment" worn by the powerful impulse lurking behind them, intended to make it socially acceptable.
To those of you who take pride in being constantly rational and choosing your life through your own will, I leave you with one final question: Looking back on your life, can you truly declare that you have never once been driven by an inexplicable impulse? What you believe to be your own "will" may simply be the thin coat that your inner impulse happens to be wearing.
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