It is said that humans are never satisfied and truer words have never been uttered before. Desire is the focal point of human existence, without it we would never have come as far as we have. Desire is the root of all of our greatness and, at the same time, our greatest folly. Without a desire, a goal, one becomes lost, seeking something new to focus upon. When man first gazed into the heavens and saw the stars he realized that there was something greater to reach for, one more step to take.
Thus the human race forever seeks to take one more step towards some unknown reward that may or may not satisfy the hunger for a time. The human race in general is afflicted with this ravenous need to know, "What's out there?".
The hunger of which I speak is our greatest gift but, by it's very nature, it is a curse that may well consume us and all we hold dear. Our desire is a dangerous thing, a thing that causes strife and change to all creation.
Buddhism teaches that desire is the key to all strife, hardship, and suffering. It's chief principal states that only be eliminating desire from ones life can one be truly happy. Is this not then a paradox? By our very nature eliminating desire is an impossibility; Is not wanting to be happy, wanting to find "Nirvana", a desire in itself? .
We, as a race, will always desire something whether we are aware of our true desires or not. Controlling your desire is the key to everything, not eliminating them altogether nor letting them rule you. Without a proper amount of restraint ones desires can cause ones own destruction. Thus the human race is in possession of a double-edged sword, a sword that may lop off all of our heads in the end.