Why is it that human nature is to want what we can't have?

[GreenEyedMinx]

Just my middle of the night musing.

Sometimes I wonder if I really want what I can't have, or if I just enjoy the chase.

No answer, just deep contemplation.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Just my middle of the night musing.

Sometimes I wonder if I really want what I can't have, or if I just enjoy the chase.

No answer, just deep contemplation.

Why can't you have it? Are you poor?

 

[GreenEyedMinx]

Why can't you have it? Are you poor?

Not everything can be purchased.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Not everything can be purchased.

So...you're poor. You could try stealing it, I suppose.

 

[jacktar48]

Just my middle of the night musing.

Sometimes I wonder if I really want what I can't have, or if I just enjoy the chase.

No answer, just deep contemplation.

Not much excitement in wanting what you already have, or what you can easily obtain.

Sometimes wanting is more satisfying than having.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Not much excitement in wanting what you already have, or what you can easily obtain.

Sometimes wanting is more satisfying than having.

In Bizarro World.

 

[GreenEyedMinx]

So...you're poor. You could try stealing it, I suppose.

Haha. As if I haven't tried.

 

[GreenEyedMinx]

Not much excitement in wanting what you already have, or what you can easily obtain.

Sometimes wanting is more satisfying than having.

I agree.

 

[jacktar48]

In Bizarro World.

It has been said by people who like boats (which is not me) that the two happiest times are the day you get it and the day you get rid of it.

Kind of like my experience with my ex-wife...

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

It has been said by people who like boats (which is not me) that the two happiest times are the day you get it and the day you get rid of it.

Kind of like my experience with my ex-wife...

People that own yachts never say that.

 

[toubab]

People that own yachts never say that.

Yes, they do. Some of them, anyway. But they might be joking.

 

[toubab]

Why? I think it's in our DNA. Forbidden fruit. The grass is always greener, etc.

Just tell a little kid he can't have something and see what happens.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Yes, they do. Some of them, anyway. But they might be joking.

They have people to say it for them. I assume the op is not in purchasing.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Why? I think it's in our DNA. Forbidden fruit. The grass is always greener, etc.

Just tell a little kid he can't have something and see what happens.

He/she screams until he/she gets what they want.

City girls just seem to find out early
How to open doors with just a smile

 

[toubab]

He/she screams until he/she gets what they want.

City girls just seem to find out early
How to open doors with just a smile

Somebody did a study of women once, showing them photos of two guys, roughly equally attractive, as I recall. When told one of the men was in a relationship, and the other wasn't, something like 90% of the women found the one in a relationship more attractive.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Somebody did a study of women once, showing them photos of two guys, roughly equally attractive, as I recall. When told one of the men was in a relationship, and the other wasn't, something like 90% of the women found the one in a relationship more attractive.

Sounds very scientific.

 

[toubab]

Sounds very scientific.

It was. The point being, it didn't matter which of the two men was supposedly in a relationship, the results were roughly the same.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

It was. The point being, it didn't matter which of the two men was supposedly in a relationship, the results were roughly the same.

Did they measure the attractive force in joules? What were the results if the man was in a relationship with another man? Or lived with his mother? Or displayed dish-pan hands?

The problem with your example is that 90% of the women would go knock the other woman over the head and take the man. That's how we roll.

 

[toubab]

Did they measure the attractive force in joules? What were the results if the man was in a relationship with another man? Or lived with his mother? Or displayed dish-pan hands?

The problem with your example is that 90% of the women would go knock the other woman over the head and take the man. That's how we roll.

Well, to give you a serious answer, I don't remember all the details, but if I were designing the study, I would first find two photos of men found equally attractive at face value by women in a separate study. Then I would find out, in the actual study, using a different set of women, if it mattered if women were told one man was in a relationship with a woman, while being told the other man was not in a relationship at all.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Well, to give you a serious answer, I don't remember all the details, but if I were designing the study, I would first find two photos of men found equally attractive at face value by women in a separate study. Then I would find out, in the actual study, using a different set of women, if it mattered if women were told one man was in a relationship with a woman, while being told the other man was not in a relationship at all.

Men are very difficult to train. Any pre-training can be very attractive. Does the same result occur with men? Doubt it.

 

[toubab]

Men are very difficult to train. Any pre-training can be very attractive. Does the same result occur with men? Doubt it.

I doubt it also, but I don't know of a study on that.

 

[Mell0wM0nk]

Thats why they call it 'pursuit' of happiness.
I think that in evolutionary terms,Early humans were hunting for food and foraging for resources constantly , and people who had excess of resources were probably more desirable as mates, and therefore just accumulating things you didn't have was a way to get more mates (or family/friends etc) .I think that everything that we still do is an attempt to gather more mates, family and friends, and that is what probably makes us happy .

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

I doubt it also, but I don't know of a study on that.

I'm not sure that exercise got us any closer to wanting what we can't have. I'm pretty sure I want some things that I can have.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Thats why they call it 'pursuit' of happiness.
I think that in evolutionary terms,Early humans were hunting for food and foraging for resources constantly , and people who had excess of resources were probably more desirable as mates, and therefore just accumulating things you didn't have was a way to get more mates (or family/friends etc) .I think that everything that we still do is an attempt to gather more mates, family and friends, and that is what probably makes us happy .

How many times have you been married, mate?

 

[toubab]

I'm not sure that exercise got us any closer to wanting what we can't have. I'm pretty sure I want some things that I can have.

Okay, I'll bite. Why don't you take them if you want them and can have them?