Images like that of an island paradise awaken a particular longing in many of us. Having satisfied the physical needs in our culture, we become aware of a deeper hunger. We thirst for something that will really satisfy.
We may have food and drink, education, a meaningful job, a romantic relationship and a nice house. But still, there is some kind of desire left in us that has not yet been satisfied. That longing is the focus of this article.
1. Human longing in the history of ideas
If we turn to history, we find that the German Romantic writers in the 18th century actually had a name for this mysterious longing. They called it Sehnsucht. Sehnsucht signifies an intense longing that is not satisfied. In the eyes of the Romantics this object of longing was never found.
