--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Going without a thing enhances the desire…" description: "\"Going without a thing enhances the desire to get it.\" — James Cook" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/james-cook-1930_desire_going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desir_3220193.jpg" --- # Going without a thing enhances the desire to get it. ![“Going without a thing enhances the desire to get it.” quote by James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/james-cook-1930_desire_going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desir_3220193.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/james-cook-1930_desire_going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desir_3220193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/james-cook-1930_desire_going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desir_3220193.jpg) > “Going without a thing enhances the desire to get it.” [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lack of something intensifies longing for it. **In simple terms:** Wanting something makes it more desirable. Key Takeaway Recognize desire’s role in motivation. Themes desire psychology motivation Mood reflective thoughtful Type psychological inspirational When to use this quote - marketing - goal setting - habit formation - relationship dynamics Key Concepts behavioral economics human nature need theory Questions to Reflect On - What do you crave most and why? - How can you balance desire with contentment? A Different Perspective Desire can become unhealthy obsession if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Enhances Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enhances-desire-2146572/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Going Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-thing-2386581/) [Thing Enhances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-enhances-6050570/) ## Related quotes > [The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/the-habit-of-giving-only-enhances-the-desire-to-give/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [As Shakespeare says, if you're going to do a thing you might as well pop right at it and get it over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-shakespeare-says-if-you-re-going-to-do-a-thing-you-might-as-well/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's nothing like going on with a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/there-s-nothing-like-going-on-with-a-thing/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [I'm no rose. I have been around a while, and you never know when something is going to be the last thing you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-milch/i-m-no-rose-i-have-been-around-a-while-and-you-never-know-when/) [David Milch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-milch/) > [If you're going to go for a thing, there's no point unless you're going all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-erivo/if-you-re-going-to-go-for-a-thing-there-s-no-point-unless-you-re/) [Cynthia Erivo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-erivo/) > [You've always got to have that inner confidence in you. That's where it all starts. You're gong to have good days, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/you-ve-always-got-to-have-that-inner-confidence-in-you-that-s-where/) [Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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 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/) > [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 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) ## More by James Cook > [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Gasahol is socialism's fuel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/gasahol-is-socialism-s-fuel/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Why is it so hard to see that when America had high savings, low taxes and minimal government, the economy grew like a week,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/why-is-it-so-hard-to-see-that-when-america-had-high-savings-low-taxes/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [The longer people receive economic assistance, the worse their social condition and behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-longer-people-receive-economic-assistance-the-worse-their-social/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Knaves will come and knaves will go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/knaves-will-come-and-knaves-will-go/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Whatever you subsidize you get more of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/whatever-you-subsidize-you-get-more-of/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Once you're in heaven it makes no difference when you got there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/once-you-re-in-heaven-it-makes-no-difference-when-you-got-there/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Liberals have one solution for every economic issue; eat the seed corn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/liberals-have-one-solution-for-every-economic-issue-eat-the-seed-corn/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Hardly anything works out as well as we hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/hardly-anything-works-out-as-well-as-we-hope/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Those who live off of the donations of capitalism are often its greatest critics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/those-who-live-off-of-the-donations-of-capitalism-are-often-its/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Let one state in the U.S. be free of government and overnight you would have an economic powerhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/let-one-state-in-the-u-s-be-free-of-government-and-overnight-you/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [The more noteworthy a person's achievements, the more government agents are attracted to investigating that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-more-noteworthy-a-person-s-achievements-the-more-government/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Throughout history government has seldom hesitated from robbing its citizens in a crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/throughout-history-government-has-seldom-hesitated-from-robbing-its/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Employers know the nature of people best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/employers-know-the-nature-of-people-best/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) [Explore all 197 James Cook quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "Going without a thing enhances the desire to get it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Cook" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desire-to-get-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desire-to-get-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/james-cook-1930_desire_going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desir_3220193.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/james-cook-1930_desire_going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desir_3220193.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/james-cook-1930_desire_going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desir_3220193.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Going without a thing enhances the desire to get it.” — James Cook", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Cook", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Going without a thing enhances the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desire-to-get-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/going-without-a-thing-enhances-the-desire-to-get-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```