Desire and its Manifestation

When I am fortunate enough to see a desire come to life, I am often underwhelmed; its actual experience hardly reflects what I imagine. This realization came as a relief over the holidays, holidays I spent alone (I know I was not the only one) as the pandemic worsened and restrictions tightened on public spaces. It is painful for desires to remain unfulfilled; perhaps what is more painful is to see the possibility of realization shrinking as conditions outside our control worsen. It can be comforting to know manifestation of a desire will not necessarily bring the good feelings we imagine. Why do desires carry such commanding power in psychic life? Philosopher and Psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek offers some insight on the matter.