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While surfing the forums today I noticed that the Reading Corner section hasn't seen a new post in half a month while Forum Games and The Lounge have 7+ active threads. After lamenting this atrocity for a few minutes I have decided to take matters into my own hands.

This semester I've been assigned a book entitled Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. When I first looked at the cover and read the subtitle "A book that changes lives" , I thought I was in for some kind of motivational nonsense. I'm now close to halfway through the book and the companion study guide, and it is actually proving to be quite fantastic. I know that attempting to describe it would prove insufficient, so I'd like to go about this differently.

Whether you've read it or not, I'd like you to read and ponder the quotes I post and, if you feel so inclined, discuss them as well. This first quote comes from chapter two, "The Web of Illusion".

"If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can't hold on to it forever."

If you get what you want, you still suffer since now you want something else. In my opinion of course.

What about the other two points?

The first point is obvious, and the second one I agree with, though I suppose it would be argued about since you still get something.

So why is it that getting something isn't the same as getting what we wanted? And I'm looking for something more than "You didn't get exactly what you want."

Because we are human beings. I mean, there is no person who doesn't get mildly irritated when they don't get exactly what they want. It's human nature. If I wanted a 100 on a test but got a 90, I've seen people get so upset that they demand retakes. It's just human nature to want to get exactly what you want.

For the sake of expanding the thought, we are unsatisfied because our expectations do not match our reality. This all leads back to a fundamental illusion. We are under the impression that we are in control of our lives, our surroundings, and even our actions. But we are not.

I'm a bit confused.  It looks like you guys just paraphrased each other and said the previous was wrong.

Have you ever taking English Class in a free for all discussion segment? That's pretty much what happens. You keep saying the same thing with a small variation, until you reach the best point possible. (Which is almost never reached)

Words are powerful things when used in the proper order and context. That's why finding the best way to say something is so important, not just simply saying it.

And for the record, in discussions such as this one I try my best to avoid negative feedback, so if I ever do give the impression that I think you're wrong I apologize.