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ECOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE
MM that distinctive potentiality. For instance, let us imagine being presented
with the opportunity to learn to paint. Imagine that during this process we
discover that we truly enjoy painting and that we find that we can paint
particularly well. Indeed, we might yearn to further explore this particular form
of self-expression. Differentiate desire represents the impulse to pursue all
talents and abilities: social, creative, personal, and political. Differentive desire
is the desire of the self to become more of itself: more complex, actualized,
and elaborate than ever before.
DeveIopmentaI Des'ire: TIhe DESiRE To Become
It is here, at the conceptual boundaries of the differentiate moment, that the
socio-erotic incorporates a developmental dimension. Developmental desire.\
the fourth finger, represents the desire to fulfill the distinctive talents or abilities
which we uncover through the expression of differentiate desire. While we
yearn to express who we are, we also seek to fulfill whom we ought to
become as well. Developmental desire begins with the assertion “I want to
become" It represents the striving to bridge the gap between who we are at
any given moment, who we could be, and who we ought to be—if we had the
opportunity. Hence, developmental desire is symbolized by die pointer finger,
the finger which points to the direction in which the self yearns to go.
In our society, developmental desire is often reduced to an instrumental
motivation for the accumulation of power, status, or capital. Ironically, old
people, who represent the elaborate and savory summation of a lifetime of
differentiation and development, are largely regarded as /Unproductive” unless
diey have accumulated a tremendous amount of capital over the years.12
However, despite this narrow view of human development, the desire to
develop endures. Developmental desire resurfaces as the relentiess craving of
the individual to uncover distinctive potentialities and as the collective desire of
society to unfold its distinctive possibilities as well. The desire to develop
emerges as a restless apprehension; a desire to taste possibility on the tip of
our tongues, unable to rest until we taste more.
In addition to differentiating ourselves to uncover the widest spectrum of
creativity, sensuality, empathy, and personality, we also yearn to grow
developmental^ In this way, development is linked, but not reducible, to
differentiation. Understandably, many confuse change, growth, and variation
with development. We reason that by differentiating ourselves from a particular
time, place, or identity we will develop, mature, or ‘evolve’. However, rather
than
cultivate
degrees
of maturity
or
coherence,
we may
achieve
a
differentiated stasis: We may have changed our show and taken it on the road,
only to find that the road is winding in circles. Hence, differentiation is not
equivalent to development. In the case of multiple personality disorder, an