<p>In the context of evolution, desires and dreams (beyond the lower tier of Maslow's Hierarchy) could be seen as, not an adaptation, but a spandrel of the adaptation of consciousness.  </p>

<p>Consciousness allows us higher cognitive skills, particularly the ability to reflect on events and predict events through modelling, which allows us to modify our behavior in a succesful way.   But this extra predictive power also gives us an imagination with which we can imagine ourselves in a better position to exploit our dopamine centers (seek pleasurable activities that don't propagate the species). </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-04T00:31:24.683Z
2014-09-04T00:31:24.683Z
Keegan Keplinger
<p>Firstly, we need to draw the difference between a need and a belief.</p>

<p>Needs are what everybody really wants, and beliefs are the vehicles which people meet those needs. For example, everybody has a need to feel significant or unique, but the way that person goes about doing that is based on their beliefs. To some people, robbing a bank in their mind will make them significant, to others helping people will make them signifcant. </p>

<p>The reason this distinction is essential is because it allows you to see that humans really only have a few true desires. The basic human needs for survival: certainty, variety, connection, significance, etc. All the different desires humans have stem from the drive to meet these needs. The reason we have so many desires is because we have various needs, many of which are in conflict.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-04T21:34:27.137Z
2014-08-04T21:34:27.137Z
chopper draw lion4
<p>Two years ago I started to learn (as self-education) evolution theory and neurobiology
for to understand - <em>who we are and where we came from?</em>
Now I see clearly that we are our brains, which are the result of RNA &amp; DNA selection
and replication.</p>

<p>Many of the issues now resolved for me: about love and intuition, origin of religion and art etc.</p>

<p>But one question remains "a mystery":
why are there so many wishes, desires, urges?<br>
<em>What is the neurobiology base for a monstrous amount of consumer goods, objects of art etc.?</em></p>

<p>The most primitive idea is "complexity of brain -> intricacy of processes -> lots of desires".<br>
Another naive answer has to do with so called "play-explore-investigation instinct",
which plays an important role when two basic instincts are "still".</p>

<p>But to me, human wishes and urges look like more of a  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackermann_function" rel="nofollow">Akkerman function</a> 
than just "a lot of".</p>

<p>I belive that (sooner or later) evolution and neuroscience will give answers to all questions 
about our mind and behavior.<br>
So glad to hear something about this one!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-05T05:45:44.930Z
Hadn't heard of Ackermann functions before...interesting concept. I'd love an answer to this too, but I'm a little pessimistic about seeing one without a narrower focus and more concrete definition of the question.
Nick Stauner
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-13T14:32:27.077Z
Do you mean "Why does a group of people have a lot of varying desires?" or "Why does every individual has a lot of desires?"
SBel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-14T15:26:46.677Z
@SBel, in fact, I'm interested in both questions.
lesobrod
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-14T16:05:15.710Z
But social diversity (desires, forms of behavior etc.) is subject of ethology (as the base) and social science. It seems to me that complexity and branching of individual wishes could be explained with neuroscience.
lesobrod
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-14T16:16:25.473Z
@lesobrod, for an individual, how many desires do you consider to be too many? For example, for me, I don't think that I have too many desires. They are sex, food, and currently I'd like to learn about personality psychology.
SBel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-14T16:33:45.650Z
@SBel, thank you for discussion, really =) And I've got exactly the same wants too. But keyword is _branching_. Why do we wish sometimes to kiss partner, and sometimes to caress? I'm living very simple, rather buddhist life; but sometimes I'd like to go to the forest, and sometimes - to the river...
lesobrod
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-31T18:48:25.070Z
@lesobrod I think you are asking a very complex social psychology question with a perspective that is simply inadequate. "What is it about our brains that causes us to support two party elections?"
Tim
<neuroscience><personality><motivation>
Why do we have so many wishes and desires?
lesobrod
# Why do we have so many wishes and desires?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-06-05)

Two years ago I started to learn (as self-education) evolution theory and neurobiology
for to understand - *who we are and where we came from?*
Now I see clearly that we are our brains, which are the result of RNA & DNA selection
and replication.

Many of the issues now resolved for me: about love and intuition, origin of religion and art etc.

But one question remains "a mystery":
why are there so many wishes, desires, urges?  
*What is the neurobiology base for a monstrous amount of consumer goods, objects of art etc.?*

The most primitive idea is "complexity of brain -> intricacy of processes -> lots of desires".  
Another naive answer has to do with so called "play-explore-investigation instinct",
which plays an important role when two basic instincts are "still".

But to me, human wishes and urges look like more of a [Akkerman function](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackermann_function)
than just "a lot of".

I belive that (sooner or later) evolution and neuroscience will give answers to all questions
about our mind and behavior.  
So glad to hear something about this one!

**Tags:** neuroscience, personality, motivation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hadn't heard of Ackermann functions before...interesting concept. I'd love an answer to this too, but I'm a little pessimistic about seeing one without a narrower focus and more concrete definition of the question.  
> **username_2**: Do you mean "Why does a group of people have a lot of varying desires?" or "Why does every individual has a lot of desires?"  
> **username_0**: @username_2, in fact, I'm interested in both questions.  
> **username_0**: But social diversity (desires, forms of behavior etc.) is subject of ethology (as the base) and social science. It seems to me that complexity and branching of individual wishes could be explained with neuroscience.  
> **username_2**: @username_0, for an individual, how many desires do you consider to be too many? For example, for me, I don't think that I have too many desires. They are sex, food, and currently I'd like to learn about personality psychology.  
> **username_0**: @username_2, thank you for discussion, really =) And I've got exactly the same wants too. But keyword is _branching_. Why do we wish sometimes to kiss partner, and sometimes to caress? I'm living very simple, rather buddhist life; but sometimes I'd like to go to the forest, and sometimes - to the river...  
> **username_3**: @username_0 I think you are asking a very complex social psychology question with a perspective that is simply inadequate. "What is it about our brains that causes us to support two party elections?"  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-04. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

In the context of evolution, desires and dreams (beyond the lower tier of Maslow's Hierarchy) could be seen as, not an adaptation, but a spandrel of the adaptation of consciousness.

Consciousness allows us higher cognitive skills, particularly the ability to reflect on events and predict events through modelling, which allows us to modify our behavior in a succesful way. But this extra predictive power also gives us an imagination with which we can imagine ourselves in a better position to exploit our dopamine centers (seek pleasurable activities that don't propagate the species).


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### Answer by username_5 on 2014-08-04. Score: 0

Firstly, we need to draw the difference between a need and a belief.

Needs are what everybody really wants, and beliefs are the vehicles which people meet those needs. For example, everybody has a need to feel significant or unique, but the way that person goes about doing that is based on their beliefs. To some people, robbing a bank in their mind will make them significant, to others helping people will make them signifcant.

The reason this distinction is essential is because it allows you to see that humans really only have a few true desires. The basic human needs for survival: certainty, variety, connection, significance, etc. All the different desires humans have stem from the drive to meet these needs. The reason we have so many desires is because we have various needs, many of which are in conflict.


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