101 potential internal objects of desire

Like the invisible force of gravity, your character's internal objects of desire pull them toward their destiny. They form the undercurrents of emotion and motivation that guide their decisions, actions, and, ultimately, their narrative arcs. Here's a repository of 101 potential internal desires to help you craft complex, compelling characters.

1. Acceptance: Your character seeks approval from others or self-acceptance.
2. Adventure: Your character longs for exciting and unusual experiences.
3. Altruism: Your character desires to act for the benefit of others, even at their own expense.
4. Authenticity: Your character seeks to be true to their personality, spirit, or character.
5. Autonomy: Your character wants independence and the freedom to determine their actions.
6. Balance: Your character desires a harmonious life, balancing work, play, and other aspects.
7. Beauty: Your character seeks beauty in their life, whether aesthetic, natural, or inner beauty.
8. Belonging: Your character yearns to be an accepted member of a group.
9. Boldness: Your character wants to be brave and willing to take risks.
10. Calm: Your character desires peace, tranquillity, and freedom from disturbance.
11. Change: Your character has a deep-seated need for transformation or variation.
12. Clarity: Your character seeks clear thoughts, understanding, or expression.
13. Compassion: Your character aspires to have a strong desire to help those who are suffering.
14. Competence: Your character needs proficiency or ability in a particular area.
15. Confidence: Your character wishes for self-assuredness and freedom from doubt.
16. Connection: Your character yearns for relationships or a sense of connection.
17. Contentment: Your character wishes for a state of happiness and satisfaction.
18. Courage: Your character aspires to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation.
19. Creativity: Your character desires to express themselves through invention or imagination.
20. Curiosity: Your character has a deep-rooted desire to learn or know about anything.
21. Dignity: Your character wants to feel a sense of pride and respect for oneself.
22. Discovery: Your character longs to learn or find something new.
23. Empathy: Your character yearns to understand and share the feelings of others.
24. Empowerment: Your character desires to gain confidence and strength in controlling their life.
25. Endurance: Your character wants to develop the power to withstand hardship or stress.
26. Enlightenment: Your character seeks spiritual illumination or profound wisdom.
27. Equality: Your character desires the same rights, opportunities, or privileges as others.
28. Equanimity: Your character yearns for mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper.
29. Experience: Your character wishes to accumulate knowledge through direct participation or observation of events.
30. Exploration: Your character is driven by a desire to investigate and become familiar with the unknown.
31. Expression: Your character needs to communicate their feelings, ideas, or identity.
32. Fairness: Your character longs for impartial and just treatment or behaviour.
33. Faith: Your character desires a strong belief in something, often without proof or evidence.
34. Family: Your character yearns for a strong, healthy, and supportive family relationship.
35. Freedom: Your character wants independence, free from constraints or obligations.
36. Friendship: Your character seeks companionship and a shared bond with others.
37. Fulfilment: Your character desires to achieve their potential and find satisfaction in their life.
38. Generosity: Your character longs to give freely to others without expecting anything in return.
39. Grace: Your character seeks to handle situations with tact, dignity, and poise.
40. Gratitude: Your character wants to have a deep appreciation for the good things and people in their life.
41. Growth: Your character yearns for personal development, advancement, or improvement.
42. Harmony: Your character wants their life to be in a balanced and pleasing arrangement.
43. Healing: Your character seeks restoration from physical, mental, or spiritual wounds.
44. Health: Your character desires complete physical, mental, and social well-being.
45. Honesty: Your character wants to act with integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness.
46. Hope: Your character has a deep-rooted desire for a better or happier future.
47. Humility: Your character wishes to show a modest or low estimate of their importance.
48. Humour: Your character yearns to find joy, amusement, or laughter.
49. Independence: Your character desires self-reliance and freedom from outside control.
50. Influence: Your character seeks the ability to affect others or the course of events.
51. Inner peace: Your character longs for tranquillity, serenity, and spiritual peace.
52. Innovation: Your character has a passion for introducing new ideas or methods.
53. Integrity: Your character desires to act honestly and ethically.
54. Intimacy: Your character seeks close familiarity or a deep emotional connection.
55. Joy: Your character yearns for great happiness and pleasure.
56. Justice: Your character wants fairness, impartiality, and equity in the treatment of others.
57. Kindness: Your character desires to be considerate, helpful, and benevolent towards others.
58. Knowledge: Your character seeks information, facts, skills, and understanding.
59. Leadership: Your character aspires to guide, influence, or direct others.
60. Learning: Your character has a deep-seated need to acquire new knowledge or skills.
61. Legacy: Your character wishes to leave a lasting impact or contribution.
62. Love: Your character seeks deep affection or emotional connection with others.
63. Loyalty: Your character desires a strong feeling of support or allegiance.
64. Meaning: Your character yearns to discover, create, or understand the purpose of life.
65. Mentoring: Your character has a desire to advise or train others.
66. Mindfulness: Your character wishes to be fully aware and engaged in the present moment.
67. Modesty: Your character values downplaying their abilities or achievements.
68. Nurturing: Your character seeks to care for and encourage the growth of others.
69. Optimism: Your character wants a positive and hopeful outlook on life.
70. Order: Your character seeks a well-organised, structured, and harmonious environment.
71. Passion: Your character has an intense desire or enthusiasm for something.
72. Patience: Your character wants the capacity to tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry.
73. Peace: Your character yearns for a state of tranquillity, quiet, and harmony.
74. Perseverance: Your character desires to persist in doing something despite difficulties or delays.
75. Personal growth: Your character seeks to enhance their quality of life and contribute to their realisation of dreams and aspirations.
76. Power: Your character desires influence or control over the behaviour of others.
77. Recognition: Your character wants to be acknowledged or appreciated by others.
78. Resilience: Your character yearns for the ability to recover quickly from difficulties.
79. Respect: Your character wishes to be admired or highly regarded by others.
80. Responsibility: Your character has a strong sense of duty or obligation.
81. Security: Your character wants to feel safe and protected.
82. Self-control: Your character aspires to manage their impulses, emotions, or desires.
83. Self-discovery: Your character wishes to gain insight into their own nature.
84. Self-esteem: Your character desires a positive perception of themselves.
85. Self-expression: Your character needs to articulate their thoughts, emotions, or creativity.
86. Serenity: Your character wants a state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.
87. Service: Your character desires to be helpful and beneficial to others.
88. Simplicity: Your character values a lifestyle free from complexity or complications.
89. Spirituality: Your character seeks a deep connection with the sacred or the divine.
90. Stability: Your character desires a steady and unchanging state.
91. Success: Your character wishes to achieve their goals or objectives.
92. Truth: Your character seeks to understand the reality or facts of a situation.
93. Trust: Your character yearns for a firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something.
94. Understanding: Your character seeks comprehension, or grasping the meaning, nature, or importance of information or situations.
95. Unity: Your character desires harmony or agreement among individuals or groups.
96. Valor: Your character wishes to possess courage and boldness.
97. Vision: Your character longs for a clear image of the future.
98. Wisdom: Your character wishes to possess experience, knowledge, and good judgment.
99. Wonder: Your character seeks a state of amazement and admiration.
100. Worth: Your character wishes to possess something of value.
101. Youth: Your character desires to feel or appear young.

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