"By annihilating the desires, you annihilate the mind. Every man without passions has within him no principle of action, nor motive to act"

This quote by Claude Adrien Helvetius talks with the importance of having desires as well as passions in life. He suggests that without desires, there is no motivation to act. He thinks that desires are the driving force behind activity and that without them, the mind is basically "annihilated". He is recommending that without desires, there is no reason to act as well as no internal motivation to do so. He is stressing the relevance of having wishes and interests in life in order to have a purpose and also a factor to act. He believes that without wishes, there is no interior inspiration to act and no concept of action. This quote speaks with the importance of having wishes as well as interests in life in order to have a function and a factor to act.