Desire Quote by Jessica Benjamin
![“In the most common fantasy of ideal love, [...], a woman can only unleash her desire in the hands of a man whom she imagines to be more powerful, who does not depend upon her for his strength. [...] The boundedness and limits within which one can surrender, and in which one can experience…” quote by Jessica Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/434/jessica-benjamin-70705_desire_in-the-most-common-fantasy-of-ideal-love_2891341.jpg)
““In the most common fantasy of ideal love, [...], a woman can only unleash her desire in the hands of a man whom she imagines to be more powerful, who does not depend upon her for his strength. [...] The boundedness and limits within which one can surrender, and in which one can experience abandonment and creativity, are sought in the ideal lover. (p. 120)””
About This Quote
Ideal love often projects power onto the lover, seeking surrender and creative abandonment within a dynamic of dependence and empowerment.
In simple terms: Ideal love mixes power and surrender.
Key Takeaway
Recognize power dynamics in relationships.
Themes
love
power
dependency
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- romantic relationships
- therapy
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
feminist theory
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you seek power in love?
- How does surrender affect autonomy?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize unhealthy dynamics.
![“[T]he psychoanalytic process should be understood as occurring between subjects rather than within the individual. Mental life is seen from an intersubjective perspective. Although this perspective has transformed both our theory and our practice in important ways, such transformations create new…” quote by Jessica Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ce/jessica-benjamin-70705_life_t-he-psychoanalytic-process-should-be-un_1821682.jpg)
![“All that is bad and dreaded is projected into the other, and all the anxiety is seen as the product of external attack rather than one's own subjective state . . . [which] the fear of the other's omnipotence as well as the need to retaliate by asserting one's own omnipotence.” quote by Jessica Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d0d/jessica-benjamin-70705_anxiety_all-that-is-bad-and-dreaded-is-projected_2176804.jpg)
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
