> I'm asking if the way a desire comes to be makes the desire good or bad, independently of whether the desire itself is good for you. Yes, I think. For exampl

> I'm asking if the way a desire comes to be makes the desire good or bad, independently of whether the desire itself is good for you. Yes, I think. For example, if I develop a desire because someone lies to me or manipulates me, then the formation of the desire itself is bad (and potentially corrupting since believing lies or being subject to manipulation can lead to further cognitive problems). As you say desires can push you towards both good and bad things. But we value not only those good or bad things, we also value autonomy and good habits of mind. So in various ways, ill-formed desires can be bad for us. If you're interested in this sort of thing, you might find Vices of the Mind by Quassim Cassam interesting. It's more about belief than desire, but I think that the issues are closely related. https://newbooksnetwork.com/quassim-cassam-vices-of-the-mind-from-the-intellectual-to-the-political-oxford-up-2019/ https://newbooksnetwork.com/quassim-cassam-vices-of-the-mind...