Desperation has origins in despair, but has become an emotion with its own distinct identity. Despair is about feeling defeated to the point at which life loses its meaning. Being desperate is what it’s like when we can see our defeat approaching, but remain determined to avoid it. The desperate strive with everything they’ve got, pushing themselves to the limit, looking for every opportunity for escape. Despair doesn’t see the point in trying any more.
A desperate feeling is characterized by a hunger that rises to the level of panic in its intensity. Normal standards for acceptable behavior fall apart under the pressure. An old aphorism advises us that desperate times call for desperate measures. Desperate measures can save the day, but they can also destroy much of what we hold dear. Doing whatever it takes, we risk losing our very identities in the process.
Desperate people are dangerous, to others and to themselves. Desperation leads to impulsive acts, based on plans that haven’t been thought through. That’s why desperation often ends in regret.
