Wish vs Desire
Wish and Desire are two words in the English language that are often confused. They appear to have similar meanings but strictly speaking there is some difference between the two words.
Wish is often accompanied by an aspiration for something as in the expression ‘wish for happiness’. Thus the word ‘wish’ is often followed by the preposition ‘for’. The word ‘wish’ is sometimes followed by ‘that’ which can at times be omitted as well. Observe the sentences given below:
1. I wish I could dance.
2. I wished that I was with him.
In the first sentence the word you will find that the demonstrative pronoun ‘that’ is not used whereas it is very much used in the second sentence.
The word ‘wish’ is used sometimes to suggest a demand or a want as in the sentence ‘I wish to go there’. In the sentence the word ‘wish’ is used to suggest a want.
The word ‘desire’ is used in the sense of ‘an unsatisfied longing or craving’ as in the expression ‘desire for wealth’. The word ‘desire’ in the expression gives the sense of ‘craving or longing for wealth’.
One of the main differences between the words ‘wish’ and ‘desire’ is that the quality of ‘craving’ is not found in ‘wish’ whereas the word ‘desire’ is always accompanied by the quality of ‘craving’ in its sense.
A desire is often expressed. Observe the sentence ‘he expressed to marry her’. The word ‘desire’ is often followed by the preposition ‘to’ or ‘that’ as in the sentences
1. I have a desire to live in France.
2. You would desire that he is alive.
It is interesting to note that the Buddhists viewed desire as the root cause for all evil in this world. The two words should be used with care and purpose.