Dear Editor,
Some weeks ago, I sat in church and listened to the pastor preaching. He spoke about the dysfunctional human desires to take, grab and have, which are all deeply rooted in human nature. The more I listened, the more I realized that what the pastor was saying was a depiction of the current events unfolding in the world. My mind raced to the current war between Russia and Ukraine, to power-hungry women and men in leadership positions, to the boys on the street corners who refused to work but want to have it all and therefore they target the Chinese shops, to the many shortcuts that have been taken “to grab” rather than to earn by hard-working means, and to the women who cheapen themselves for luxurious lifestyles and worldly possessions.
Later that afternoon, as I reflected on the sermon, I became more fascinated and decided to dig further. Through research, I found out that dysfunctional human desires refer to a variety of unproductive, harmful, or totally destructive desires that we experience as human beings. These desires can take numerous forms, from the urge to abuse power, to overeat or overspend to the compulsion to engage in addictive behaviours like alcohol or drug abuse. In addition, the root of these desires is often driven by a sense of emptiness or dissatisfaction within us. We may feel that something is missing from our lives, or that we are not living up to our full potential. In response, we may turn to these dysfunctional desires as a way to fill the void or distract ourselves from our problems.
It then dawned on me that these dysfunctional behaviours are like octopuses. They have many tentacles that have far-reaching effects. Personally, I have been a victim of dysfunctional human desires on the work floor, like many others. We have worked assiduously and made our contribution to the growth and development of organizations; however, it did not shelter us from the undermining, denigrating, lying, denying, assuming, blaming, discrediting, and gaslighting. On the contrary, one would have thought that educated people would “know better”, but apparently, that is not the case. I, like many others have come to realize that this happens in the workplace because some qualified individuals are only qualified on paper; they have absorbed and recalled to get good grades in colleges and universities, however, they lack the ability to think and solve problems, and they are emotional and vindictive.
Regrettably, these desires hardly provide the satisfaction people seek. Instead, they tend to exacerbate the problems, leading to negative consequences such as financial devastation, broken personal and professional relationships, and health problems.
To overcome dysfunctional desires, it is important to understand their underlying causes. This may involve soliciting professional help, developing healthier coping mechanisms, and taking steps to address any underlying emotional or psychological issues.
Ultimately, it is important to remember that we are all humans, and we all experience desires that are less than productive or healthy. By acknowledging and addressing these desires, we can begin to live more fulfilling and satisfying lives.
Natchie Swardes
Moniker used at author’s request.
