Glossary
Desire
A motivational state oriented toward an anticipated object, experience, outcome, or way of being that a person regards as valuable or rewarding.
Definition
Desire describes wanting directed toward something imagined as valuable. It can involve bodily needs, learned preferences, memories, goals, identity, social meaning, and anticipation. No single mechanism explains every desire, and wanting is not identical to liking, choosing, or long-term satisfaction.
Origin
From the Latin desiderare, commonly understood as to long for or wish for. Modern psychology and philosophy use the term across several distinct theories of motivation and value.
Usage in luxury
In luxury and collecting, desire may be shaped by design, craft, story, scarcity, identity, belonging, anticipated use, and cultural recognition. These influences can overlap without determining what any individual should value.
Examples
- - Wanting a handmade object because its process matters
- - Anticipating an experience linked to a personal milestone
Related terms
Related reading
Sources and further reading
- The Incentive-Sensitization Theory of Addiction - American Psychologist (2000)