"My interest in desperation lies only in that sometimes I find myself having become desperate. Very seldom do I start out that way. I can see of course that, in the abstract, thinking and all activity is rather desperate"

In this quote, Willem de Kooning assesses his fascination with desperation. He describes that he is just interested in it due to the fact that he has actually experienced it himself at times. He rarely begins a task or task sensation desperate, but he acknowledges that in the grand plan of things, all thinking and action can be seen as desperate. This could be analyzed as a commentary on the human condition, where we are continuously striving and struggling to accomplish our objectives and meet our desires. De Kooning's words suggest that desperation is a natural part of the human experience, and it is something that he has actually personally come to grips with.