Imagine a man who spends his time gambling, not for the money itself, but for the thrill of the game. Now, picture this: what if you offered him all the money he could ever win in his gambling endeavors? He wouldn’t have to play the game anymore; he could have it all in one fell swoop. But would this make him happy? The answer, curiously, is NO.

Even with all the winnings in hand, he wouldn’t be fulfilled. Why? Because it’s not the money he truly craves. It’s the act of playing the game, the rollercoaster of emotions—the tension, the hope, the momentary despair, the thrill of anticipation—that he’s addicted to. If you took that away and simply handed him the prize, it would lose its meaning.

Now, consider the opposite scenario. What if you allowed him to continue playing the game, but ensured that he would never win any of the money? He would be equally dissatisfied because, while the process might be enjoyable, the illusion of winning is integral to the experience. Without even the faintest possibility of achieving his goal, the thrill would fade, leaving him disillusioned and frustrated.

This paradox captures a deep truth about human desire: it’s not merely about having or not having what we want. It’s the elusive dance between longing and fulfillment that keeps us engaged in the pursuit.

The gambling analogy helps reveal an uncomfortable truth. Much of what we seek in life is driven by a similar dynamic: we chase things not because we truly want them, but because we believe that attaining them will make us happy. But the reality is far more complex.

When we desire something, we imagine that once we get it, our lives will be complete. Whether it’s money, love, success, or even enlightenment, we convince ourselves that happiness lies just beyond the next accomplishment, the next acquisition. We project happiness onto the future, fooling ourselves into thinking that once we "win," all will be well.

But the truth is that the pursuit itself often provides more satisfaction than the end goal. Once we have what we thought we wanted, we discover that it doesn’t bring the lasting happiness we envisioned. Like the gambler who finally wins big, we find that the prize itself pales in comparison to the excitement of the chase.

This is the paradox of desire: it’s not the having, but the wanting that keeps us going.

Religion, in many ways, encapsulates this paradox perfectly. Most religions promise their followers something beyond this life—eternal salvation, enlightenment, or union with the divine. Yet, these promises are intangible and unattainable within one’s lifetime.

And this is precisely why religion has been so effective throughout human history. It offers something that can never be fully grasped or experienced while alive, creating a kind of permanent desire. Believers spend their lives in pursuit of something they can never definitively have, yet they are motivated by the promise that they will attain it eventually—just not now.

In this way, religion creates a perfect balance of having and not having. The promise of fulfillment is always there, but it’s never fully within reach. Believers are kept in a perpetual state of longing, sustained by the hope of future reward, but never quite achieving the thing they desire most.

This dynamic echoes the gambler’s dilemma. In the same way that the thrill of the game keeps the gambler engaged, the promise of a distant, future fulfillment keeps the religious devotee committed. The ultimate prize is always just out of reach, but the belief that it will be reached sustains the individual through the trials of life.

This cycle of desire and deferred gratification is essential to human nature. If we were to be handed everything we ever wanted, we would quickly become bored, dissatisfied, and unhappy. The anticipation and pursuit of goals, no matter how unattainable, provide the spark that keeps us alive and engaged.

Consider the gambler once more. If he could no longer play the game, or if the outcome was always predetermined, the experience would lose its allure. He needs the illusion of potential victory to maintain his excitement. Similarly, in life, we need the illusion that achieving our desires will bring happiness—even if, deep down, we know that this isn’t entirely true.

The chase, the longing, and the belief that “once I have this, I’ll be happy” are all integral to the human experience. Paradoxically, the thing we desire isn’t what brings happiness—it’s the pursuit of that thing. And as long as we believe that happiness lies just beyond the next horizon, we’ll continue to chase after it, caught in an endless loop of desire and fulfillment.