Observations placeholder
Descartes, Rene - On desires and the ego
Identifier
002944
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Contemplation and detachment includes reducing desires and squashing the big I am, but as Decartes makes specific reference to them I thought it helpful to repeat them in the activities
A description of the experience
Rene Descartes – Key Philosophical Writings
My third maxim was to try always to conquer myself rather than fortune, and to alter my desires rather than change the order of the world, and generally to accustom myself to believe that there is nothing entirely within our power but our own thoughts; so that after we have done our best in regard to the things that are without us, our ill success cannot possibly be failure on our part. And this alone seemed to me to be sufficient to prevent my desiring anything in the future beyond that I could actually obtain, hence rendering me content; for since our will does not naturally induce us to desire anything but what our understanding represents to it as in some way possible of attainment, it is certain that if we consider all good things which are outside of us as equally outside of our power, we should not have more regret in resigning those goods which appear to pertain to our birth, when we are deprived of them for no fault of our own, than we have in not possessing the kingdoms of China or Mexico.