--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My house was built by a partnership…" description: "\"“My house was built by a partnership called Desire and Ignorance; they often work together, and always with disastrous consequences. It’s surprising th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/simon-parke-42124_avoiding-pain_my-house-was-built-by-a-partnership-call_574100.jpg" --- # My house was built by a partnership called Desire and… ![“My house was built by a partnership called Desire and Ignorance; they often work together, and always with disastrous consequences. It’s surprising they aren’t more talked of in the press. They are great survivors but incompetent builders. Desire is famous only for pursuing pleasure and avoiding…” quote by Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/simon-parke-42124_avoiding-pain_my-house-was-built-by-a-partnership-call_574100.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/simon-parke-42124_avoiding-pain_my-house-was-built-by-a-partnership-call_574100.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccb/simon-parke-42124_avoiding-pain_my-house-was-built-by-a-partnership-call_574100.jpg) > ““My house was built by a partnership called Desire and Ignorance; they often work together, and always with disastrous consequences. It’s surprising they aren’t more talked of in the press. They are great survivors but incompetent builders. Desire is famous only for pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain, while Ignorance casts a veil over all his unexamined assumptions and makes wrong ones every hour. Together, they created the psychological reality where I live. Hardly a surprise, therefore, if it’s unfit for purpose!”” [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desire and ignorance together shape our mental world, often leading to poor outcomes because they reinforce each other’s flaws. **In simple terms:** Desire and ignorance create bad mental habits. Key Takeaway Recognize and balance desire and ignorance. Themes psychology selfawareness habit formation Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal decision making - relationship counseling - leadership development - mental health therapy Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑deception motivation Questions to Reflect On - How do you notice desire and ignorance influencing your choices? - What steps can you take to examine hidden assumptions? A Different Perspective Desire can be constructive if guided; ignorance can be mitigated by critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoiding pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding-pain/) [Builders Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/builders-desire-4731984/) [Called Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-desire-934477/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desire Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-ignorance-4148989/) [Ignorance Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance-work-1274879/) [Work together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-together/) ## Related quotes > [Desire, ignorance, and inequality—this is the trinity of bondage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/desire-ignorance-and-inequality-this-is-the-trinity-of-bondage/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“As he looked at her, she felt that flood of restlessness that she now knew was called desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-thacker/as-he-looked-at-her-she-felt-that-flood-of-restlessness-that-she-now/) [Shelly Thacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-thacker/) > [“So many girls allow themselves to be bleeding idiots because that's what's expected of them. Dress like a girl. Walk like one. Eat like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/so-many-girls-allow-themselves-to-be-bleeding-idiots-because-that-s/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [All things are in the intended endpoint, and this mode of being is called will or desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/all-things-are-in-the-intended-endpoint-and-this-mode-of-being-is/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [Never let go of that fiery sadness called desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/never-let-go-of-that-fiery-sadness-called-desire/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [The real argument against aristocracy is that it always means the rule of the ignorant. For the most dangerous of all forms of ignorance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-real-argument-against-aristocracy-is-that-it-always-means-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“We lived, as usual by ignoring. Ignoring isn't the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/we-lived-as-usual-by-ignoring-ignoring-isn-t-the-same-as-ignorance-2/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/ignoring-isn-t-the-same-as-ignorance-you-have-to-work-at-it/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn't the same as ignorance, you have to work at it. Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/we-lived-as-usual-by-ignoring-ignoring-isn-t-the-same-as-ignorance/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Just try to be yourself and resist complacency and ignorance. All you can do is work, work; work and be disciplined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-peck/just-try-to-be-yourself-and-resist-complacency-and-ignorance-all-you/) [Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-peck/) > [“It sets a dangerous precedent. For avoiding pain? For avoiding life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowell-rainbow/it-sets-a-dangerous-precedent-for-avoiding-pain-for-avoiding-life/) [Rowell Rainbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowell-rainbow/) > [“Remember and Share - Action is the second step in The Hook. - The action is the simplest behavior in anticipation of reward. -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/remember-and-share-action-is-the-second-step-in-the-hook-the-action/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“The art of life is the art of avoiding pain: and he is the best pilot who steers clearest of the rocks and shoals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-art-of-life-is-the-art-of-avoiding-pain-and-he-is-the-best-pilot/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“The greatest satisfaction comes not from chasing pleasure and avoiding pain, but from the radical acceptance of life as it is, without fighting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-levine/the-greatest-satisfaction-comes-not-from-chasing-pleasure-and/) [Noah Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-levine/) > [Resisting and avoiding pain sucks energy-and time. The more you let yourself feel those minute-and-a-half hells, the quicker you'll start feeling those minute-and-a-half happinesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-newman/resisting-and-avoiding-pain-sucks-energy-and-time-the-more-you-let/) [Leigh Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-newman/) ## More by Simon Parke > [“A human being,’ said Einstein, ‘is part of the whole, which we call the Universe; a part limited in time and space. He experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/a-human-being-said-einstein-is-part-of-the-whole-which-we-call-the/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“We don’t live and learn; we live and confirm discredited patterns of understanding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/we-don-t-live-and-learn-we-live-and-confirm-discredited-patterns-of/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“In Buddhist thought, enlightenment is understood not as the presence of something but as the absence of something: the permanent extinction in our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/in-buddhist-thought-enlightenment-is-understood-not-as-the-presence/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“If rush and impatience is your manner of spiritual travel, don’t expect to arrive anywhere beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/if-rush-and-impatience-is-your-manner-of-spiritual-travel-don-t/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“Acceptance is not opposed to change; instead acceptance brings a different energy to the situation. Acceptance takes the heat of desire out of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/acceptance-is-not-opposed-to-change-instead-acceptance-brings-a/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“Please understand this: there is no darkness inside us which is not entirely normal; no guilty secret we hold that is not the guilty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/please-understand-this-there-is-no-darkness-inside-us-which-is-not/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“It is a strange thing that as we empty ourselves, we become more solid people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/it-is-a-strange-thing-that-as-we-empty-ourselves-we-become-more-solid/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“One who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than one who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/one-who-has-conquered-himself-is-a-far-greater-hero-than-one-who-has/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“As Abraham Maslow said, ‘If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/as-abraham-maslow-said-if-you-only-have-a-hammer-you-tend-to-see/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) [Explore all 10 Simon Parke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) ## More Avoiding pain quotes > [Resisting and avoiding pain sucks energy-and time. The more you let yourself feel those minute-and-a-half hells, the quicker you'll start feeling those minute-and-a-half happinesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-newman/resisting-and-avoiding-pain-sucks-energy-and-time-the-more-you-let/) [Leigh Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-newman/) > [“The greatest satisfaction comes not from chasing pleasure and avoiding pain, but from the radical acceptance of life as it is, without fighting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-levine/the-greatest-satisfaction-comes-not-from-chasing-pleasure-and/) [Noah Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-levine/) > [“The art of life is the art of avoiding pain: and he is the best pilot who steers clearest of the rocks and shoals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-art-of-life-is-the-art-of-avoiding-pain-and-he-is-the-best-pilot/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Remember and Share - Action is the second step in The Hook. - The action is the simplest behavior in anticipation of reward. -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/remember-and-share-action-is-the-second-step-in-the-hook-the-action/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“It sets a dangerous precedent. For avoiding pain? For avoiding life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowell-rainbow/it-sets-a-dangerous-precedent-for-avoiding-pain-for-avoiding-life/) [Rowell Rainbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowell-rainbow/) > [The underlying motivation that drives all addiction is our insistence on avoiding pain. However, the pain you are avoiding is based in the past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-jacobson/the-underlying-motivation-that-drives-all-addiction-is-our-insistence/) [Leonard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-jacobson/) > [“Nothing. Nothing. Just … isn’t giving up allowed sometimes? Isn’t it okay to say, ‘This really hurts, so I’m going to stop trying’?” “It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/nothing-nothing-just-isn-t-giving-up-allowed-sometimes-isn-t-it-okay/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Where can I start slow and hold myself accountable?” And, “Where do I need to take that bigger leap? Where have I been avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hardy/where-can-i-start-slow-and-hold-myself-accountable-and-where-do-i/) [Darren Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hardy/) > [Unexplained pain may sometimes direct our attention to something unacknowledged, something we are afraid to know or feel. Then it holds us to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/unexplained-pain-may-sometimes-direct-our-attention-to-something/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [“Avoiding pain causes endless suffering for you and others. Avoiding pain is really selfishness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/avoiding-pain-causes-endless-suffering-for-you-and-others-avoiding/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Human beings, he argued, are not hardwired for seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. They want meaning. In spite of what we say, we don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/human-beings-he-argued-are-not-hardwired-for-seeking-pleasure-and/) [Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/) > [“To get some distance from this, you first need to get some perspective. Walk outside on a clear night and just look up into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-a-singer/to-get-some-distance-from-this-you-first-need-to-get-some-perspective/) [Michael A. Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-a-singer/) > [Epicurus recommends bread and cheese as the staple, and his emphasis is more on avoiding pain than on seeking pleasure, insofar as pleasure-seeking tends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-wilson/epicurus-recommends-bread-and-cheese-as-the-staple-and-his-emphasis/) [Catherine Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-wilson/) > [If men as individuals surrender to the call of their elementary instincts, avoiding pain and seeking satisfaction only for their own selves, the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-men-as-individuals-surrender-to-the-call-of-their-elementary/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Pain in this life is not avoidable, but the pain we create avoiding pain is avoidable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pain-in-this-life-is-not-avoidable-but-the-pain-we-create-avoiding/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 39 Avoiding pain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding-pain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My house was built by a partnership called Desire and Ignorance; they often work together, and always with disastrous consequences. 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