--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe the desire that burns behind this…" description: "\"“Maybe the desire that burns behind this question is the desire to be real. And which is more real - a clod of dirt unnoticed at your feet, or a hero i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fb/benjamin-rosenbaum-222768_desire_maybe-the-desire-that-burns-behind-this_329404.jpg" --- # Maybe the desire that burns behind this question is the… ![“Maybe the desire that burns behind this question is the desire to be real. And which is more real - a clod of dirt unnoticed at your feet, or a hero in a legend? And maybe behind the desire to be real is simply wanting to be known. To be held.” quote by Benjamin Rosenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fb/benjamin-rosenbaum-222768_desire_maybe-the-desire-that-burns-behind-this_329404.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fb/benjamin-rosenbaum-222768_desire_maybe-the-desire-that-burns-behind-this_329404.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fb/benjamin-rosenbaum-222768_desire_maybe-the-desire-that-burns-behind-this_329404.jpg) > ““Maybe the desire that burns behind this question is the desire to be real. And which is more real - a clod of dirt unnoticed at your feet, or a hero in a legend? And maybe behind the desire to be real is simply wanting to be known. To be held.”” Benjamin Rosenbaum ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The desire to be real stems from wanting to be known, held, and recognized as a hero rather than invisible. **In simple terms:** Wanting authenticity and recognition. Key Takeaway Seek genuine connections and purpose. Themes authenticity recognition identity heroism Mood introspective curious Type question philosophical When to use this quote - writing - therapy - personal branding Key Concepts existentialism psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - What does being “real” mean to you? - How can you be known without losing self? A Different Perspective Desire for fame can be shallow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ## Related quotes > [It's so important to consider this question: What do I desire?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/it-s-so-important-to-consider-this-question-what-do-i-desire/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [You always have to play with desire at Real Madrid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo/you-always-have-to-play-with-desire-at-real-madrid/) [Marcelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo/) > [“Maybe desire was best left unspoken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hill/maybe-desire-was-best-left-unspoken/) [Nathan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hill/) > [“should therefore make the most of every half-hour in which she can command his attention. When she is secure of him, there will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/should-therefore-make-the-most-of-every-half-hour-in-which-she-can/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“For most of my life, I have desired a category, a designation, but maybe that desire was misplaced? Maybe it was just another failure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dale-young/for-most-of-my-life-i-have-desired-a-category-a-designation-but-maybe/) C. Dale Young > [It's not cruelty, maybe, but a desire to understand that motivates them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/it-s-not-cruelty-maybe-but-a-desire-to-understand-that-motivates-them/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [The moment you say yes to acting on your desire is the real beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-moment-you-say-yes-to-acting-on-your-desire-is-the-real-beginning/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [Federer can be the best ever; he has the potential. The only question is whether he has the desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-krajicek/federer-can-be-the-best-ever-he-has-the-potential-the-only-question/) [Richard Krajicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-krajicek/) > [Study with desire is real activity; without desire it is but the semblance and mockery of activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-godwin/study-with-desire-is-real-activity-without-desire-it-is-but-the/) [William Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-godwin/) > [“You didn’t answer my question. I asked you about being in love. You said what it was like when your wife went away.” Martin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/you-didn-t-answer-my-question-i-asked-you-about-being-in-love-you/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [I've felt the pressure of wanting to be known as a young actress rather than just Alisha from 'Misfits'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-thomas/i-ve-felt-the-pressure-of-wanting-to-be-known-as-a-young-actress/) [Antonia Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-thomas/) > [“Being in love is…anxious,” he said. “Wanting to please, worrying that she will see me as I really am. But wanting to be known.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/being-in-love-is-anxious-he-said-wanting-to-please-worrying-that-she/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [Ive felt the pressure of wanting to be known as a young actress rather than just Alisha from Misfits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-thomas/ive-felt-the-pressure-of-wanting-to-be-known-as-a-young-actress/) [Antonia Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-thomas/) > [Desire makes life happen. Makes it matter. Makes everything worth it. Desire is life. Hunger to see the next sunrise or sunset, to touch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/desire-makes-life-happen-makes-it-matter-makes-everything-worth-it/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Wanting someone you cant have, isnt that the way it always works?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wanting-someone-you-cant-have-isnt-that-the-way-it-always-works/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Maybe the desire that burns behind this question is the desire to be real. And which is more real - a clod of dirt unnoticed at your feet, or a hero in a legend? And maybe behind the desire to be real is simply wanting to be known. 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