---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sólo se desea lo que no se tiene."
description: "\"“Sólo se desea lo que no se tiene.”\" — Orson Scott Card"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/orson-scott-card-134_amor_s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene-1213463_1213463.png"
---

#  Sólo se desea lo que no se tiene.

![“Sólo se desea lo que no se tiene.” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/orson-scott-card-134_amor_s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene-1213463_1213463.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/orson-scott-card-134_amor_s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene-1213463_1213463.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/orson-scott-card-134_amor_s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene-1213463_1213463.png)

> ““Sólo se desea lo que no se tiene.””

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Desire is for what we lack, not what we possess.

**In simple terms:** We crave what we don’t have.

Key Takeaway

Focus on appreciating current blessings.

Themes

desire contentment human nature

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- goal setting
- mindfulness practice
- gratitude journaling

Key Concepts

psychology of longing philosophy of need

Questions to Reflect On

- What do you truly need?
- How can desire be constructive?

A Different Perspective

Desire can motivate growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Amor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amor/) [Deseo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deseo-45503/)

## Related quotes

> [“A mi solo me gustaria estar en un lugar donde nunca me tuviera que ir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dulce-mar-a/a-mi-solo-me-gustaria-estar-en-un-lugar-donde-nunca-me-tuviera-que-ir/)

[Dulce María](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dulce-mar-a/)

> [“La vida tiene varias dimensiones pero estamos condenados a elegir e ignorar las demás. Estamos condenados a sentir que, por bien que estemos, nuestra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/efraim-medina-reyes/la-vida-tiene-varias-dimensiones-pero-estamos-condenados-a-elegir-e/)

[Efraim Medina Reyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/efraim-medina-reyes/)

> [“Aspirar a algo que no tendrás jamás, ¿es ésta la agudeza del más generoso entre los deseos?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/aspirar-a-algo-que-no-tendr-s-jam-s-es-sta-la-agudeza-del-m-s/)

[Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/)

> [“Paciencia: Hay gente que hace cosas por miedo al látigo. Hay gente que hace cosas por temor a perder sus familias o sus vidas.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/paciencia-hay-gente-que-hace-cosas-por-miedo-al-l-tigo-hay-gente-que/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“E a minha conclusão, na medida em que eu mantinha boas relações com a Anne, é que a maioria dos pais não conhece de…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/e-a-minha-conclusao-na-medida-em-que-eu-mantinha-boas-relacoes-com-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“A mí todo aquello me era insoportable, pues no estoy hecho de la madera de los que aguantan a los tontos con absoluta resignación.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-lobsang-rampa/a-m-todo-aquello-me-era-insoportable-pues-no-estoy-hecho-de-la-madera/)

[T. Lobsang Rampa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-lobsang-rampa/)

> [“Y vuelvo a enamorarme de quién no debo. Y vuelvo a tener esperanza. Y vuelvo a creer en Dios. Y vuelvo a pensar todas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-porcupine/y-vuelvo-a-enamorarme-de-qui-n-no-debo-y-vuelvo-a-tener-esperanza-y/)

[J. Porcupine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-porcupine/)

> [“Ao te ler eu me atualizo, com um beijo me informo da tua situação tão precária quanto a minha.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-russo/ao-te-ler-eu-me-atualizo-com-um-beijo-me-informo-da-tua-situa-o-t-o/)

[Filipe Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-russo/)

> [“E queria estar a treze mil quilómetros dali, a vigiar o sono da minha filha nos panos do seu berço, queria não ter nascido…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ant-nio-lobo-antunes/e-queria-estar-a-treze-mil-quil-metros-dali-a-vigiar-o-sono-da-minha/)

[António Lobo Antunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ant-nio-lobo-antunes/)

> [“-¿Sucede algo, Elegida?... -¿Cuántas veces tengo que pedirte que no me llames así? Me sonrió:-Una vez más.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-gonz-lez-m-rquez/sucede-algo-elegida-cu-ntas-veces-tengo-que-pedirte-que-no-me-llames/)

[Adriana González Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-gonz-lez-m-rquez/)

> [“Prefiero tocar canciones que divierten a mis amigos que complacer a quienes me juzgan basándose solo en habladurías" - Kvothe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/prefiero-tocar-canciones-que-divierten-a-mis-amigos-que-complacer-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Muchos de los ángeles de Dios no tienen alas...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/muchos-de-los-ngeles-de-dios-no-tienen-alas/)

[José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/)

> [Est�s anclado... anclado en mi coraz�n.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anahi/est-s-anclado-anclado-en-mi-coraz-n/)

[Anahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anahi/)

> [“Eu nu am idei ci obsesii. Idei poate avea oricine. Nimeni nu s-a prăbușit din cauza ideilor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/eu-nu-am-idei-ci-obsesii-idei-poate-avea-oricine-nimeni-nu-s-a-pr-bu/)

[Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/)

> [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/)

[Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/)

## More by Orson Scott Card

> [“You underestimate yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-underestimate-yourself/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“Why did he hesitate? He finally admitted to himself that he was like an American child who was almost completely certain about Santa Claus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/why-did-he-hesitate-he-finally-admitted-to-himself-that-he-was-like/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“I don't know of a soul who doesn't maintain two separate lists of doctrines - the ones they believe they believe; and the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-don-t-know-of-a-soul-who-doesn-t-maintain-two-separate-lists-of/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [Good people do not let others suffer needlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/good-people-do-not-let-others-suffer-needlessly/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [Where ideas are real and reality is shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-ideas-are-real-and-reality-is-shadow/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“Ender, for the past few months you have been the battle commander of our fleets. This was the Third Invasion. There were no games,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/ender-for-the-past-few-months-you-have-been-the-battle-commander-of/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [Science fiction is about what could be but isn't; fantasy is about what couldn't be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/science-fiction-is-about-what-could-be-but-isn-t-fantasy-is-about/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/knowledge-is-just-opinion-that-you-trust-enough-to-act-upon/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“Of course they accused Marcão of having done it without provocation—that’s the way of torturers of every age, to put the blame on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/of-course-they-accused-marc-o-of-having-done-it-without-provocation/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“Civilization is only a pretense; in the crisis, we become mere apes again, forgetting the rational biped of our pretensions and becoming instead the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/civilization-is-only-a-pretense-in-the-crisis-we-become-mere-apes/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“Where did this whole thing begin? If what we think of as reality is just a pattern that somebody brought Outside, and the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-did-this-whole-thing-begin-if-what-we-think-of-as-reality-is/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

[Explore all 1,158 Orson Scott Card quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

## More Amor quotes

> [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/)

[Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/)

> [“Eu nu am idei ci obsesii. Idei poate avea oricine. Nimeni nu s-a prăbușit din cauza ideilor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/eu-nu-am-idei-ci-obsesii-idei-poate-avea-oricine-nimeni-nu-s-a-pr-bu/)

[Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/)

> [Est�s anclado... anclado en mi coraz�n.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anahi/est-s-anclado-anclado-en-mi-coraz-n/)

[Anahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anahi/)

> [“Muchos de los ángeles de Dios no tienen alas...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/muchos-de-los-ngeles-de-dios-no-tienen-alas/)

[José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/)

> [“Prefiero tocar canciones que divierten a mis amigos que complacer a quienes me juzgan basándose solo en habladurías" - Kvothe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/prefiero-tocar-canciones-que-divierten-a-mis-amigos-que-complacer-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“-¿Sucede algo, Elegida?... -¿Cuántas veces tengo que pedirte que no me llames así? Me sonrió:-Una vez más.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-gonz-lez-m-rquez/sucede-algo-elegida-cu-ntas-veces-tengo-que-pedirte-que-no-me-llames/)

[Adriana González Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-gonz-lez-m-rquez/)

> [“E queria estar a treze mil quilómetros dali, a vigiar o sono da minha filha nos panos do seu berço, queria não ter nascido…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ant-nio-lobo-antunes/e-queria-estar-a-treze-mil-quil-metros-dali-a-vigiar-o-sono-da-minha/)

[António Lobo Antunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ant-nio-lobo-antunes/)

> [“Ao te ler eu me atualizo, com um beijo me informo da tua situação tão precária quanto a minha.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-russo/ao-te-ler-eu-me-atualizo-com-um-beijo-me-informo-da-tua-situa-o-t-o/)

[Filipe Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-russo/)

> [“Y vuelvo a enamorarme de quién no debo. Y vuelvo a tener esperanza. Y vuelvo a creer en Dios. Y vuelvo a pensar todas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-porcupine/y-vuelvo-a-enamorarme-de-qui-n-no-debo-y-vuelvo-a-tener-esperanza-y/)

[J. Porcupine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-porcupine/)

> [“A mí todo aquello me era insoportable, pues no estoy hecho de la madera de los que aguantan a los tontos con absoluta resignación.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-lobsang-rampa/a-m-todo-aquello-me-era-insoportable-pues-no-estoy-hecho-de-la-madera/)

[T. Lobsang Rampa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-lobsang-rampa/)

> [“E a minha conclusão, na medida em que eu mantinha boas relações com a Anne, é que a maioria dos pais não conhece de…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/e-a-minha-conclusao-na-medida-em-que-eu-mantinha-boas-relacoes-com-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Non poteva più vivere senza sapere e, soprattutto, non poteva morire senza sapere, in un'epoca in cui i ragazzi come lui erano chiamati più…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/non-poteva-pi-vivere-senza-sapere-e-soprattutto-non-poteva-morire/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Cuando la Universidad de Belgrano me propuso dar cinco clases, elegí temas con los cuales me había consustanciado él tiempo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cuando-la-universidad-de-belgrano-me-propuso-dar-cinco-clases-elegi/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Paucis natura contenta est”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/paucis-natura-contenta-est/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“NUNCA DIGAS, NUNCA JAMAS.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/popular-woodworking/nunca-digas-nunca-jamas/)

[Popular Woodworking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/popular-woodworking/)

[Browse all 9,622 Amor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Sólo se desea lo que no se tiene.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Orson Scott Card"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Amor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/orson-scott-card-134_amor_s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene-1213463_1213463.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/orson-scott-card-134_amor_s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene-1213463_1213463.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/orson-scott-card-134_amor_s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene-1213463_1213463.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sólo se desea lo que no se tiene.” — Orson Scott Card",
                "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": "Orson Scott Card",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Sólo se desea lo que no...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/s-lo-se-desea-lo-que-no-se-tiene/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```