Do you agree that the more desire we have the unhappier we are?

I read somewhere that Oprah said the more we look at what we have, the more we will get. When we look at what we don't have, we can't have enough. Something like that. And it makes sense to me. It's similar to whether you see the cup as half full or half empty. I think that it's great to have goals, but we should set them realistically. Because what is the point in trying to fulfill something that just can't be fulfilled? You desire the model in the magazine, but you will never meet this person. Nor is it promised that the model will like you when you meet. So why not work on dating someone you have a chance with, who is in your real life, who may or may not be as attractive as this model that the whole world wants to date?

Well I suppose it depends on whether you can obtain whatever it is you 'desire'.
In materialistic terms, a billionare who wants a plane, then a yacht, then a whatever, whatever, whatever and can afford all of it won't be unhappy the more he desires, because he has enough financial resources to obtain those things.
I think the unhappiness comes from not being able to obtain the desired object/entity. Going back to our billionaire, a problem might come if he desires, say, a home-loving type of wife that doesn't require much and then can't 'obtain' that because exactly the opposite type of women seem to be attracted to him.
Going now to 'ordinary' people who may not have the resources (mostly financial) to obtain what they want, yet are subjected to advertising of sorts (whether through movies, people they mix with, or plain adverts) that has the aim of making people feel they need something and tries to make them feel somewhat inadequate if they don't have it:
in that situation, such a person, the more they desire perhaps the more unhappy they will be since they can't afford everything they desire. Wanting something you can't have generally makes people unhappy, since it's something you 'wanted' in the first place.
I think desires regarding feelings work in a similar way.
With every new desire a person might have comes a possibility that they can't have it, and therefore a source of unhappiness for the person.
So...I would agree that (to put it this way): desiring less can potentially make one happier (or less unhappy).
I think that the feeling of desire at least partially comes from feeling that what you already have materialistically or otherwise is inadequate/not being content with what there already is.
Although there are various kinds of desires, some more destructive/less sustainable than others..it's a bit complicated.
I'm talking about desire here as in wanting something, not desire associated with being in love with someone.

No. I absolutely reject this basic tenet of Buddhism. Test this idea out. You know that you have to save money to pay taxes on your business at the end of the year. So are you surprised when the taxes come due?

All physical pleasure leads to pain (Epicurus) whether that pain is the empty stomach or the upset stomach. So that means don't eat, according to Buddha. What if you calculate IN the pain? What if you build your life on moral or intellectual pleasures (Epicurus.) How is the desire to escape desire any less unsatisfying than any other mental desire? It is the same thing.

The more UNANTICIPATED misery we have the more unhappy we are. If you can functionally anticipate it, you can live with it more comfortably.

I think desire is a motivator and not by itself the cause of unhappiness..... it is our attachment to those desires (giving them an egoistic identity) which is at the root of all unhappiness.
There is no doubt that we should not let our desires fly without reasonable control and cover, but a basic set of controlled desires, that take the shape of aims in line with our cherished values, is a must for us to be able to lead and direct our life towards achievement, satisfaction and happiness.

Do you agree that the more desire we have the unhappier we are?

Great question.

Many philosophers have said that happiness is an illusion. If that statement is indeed true then unhappiness is also an illusion.

Humans live in a reality where mental constructs like good and evil, happiness, perfection, etc., drive our decisions but none of these things exist outside our minds.

There may be biological manifestations of happiness like laughter, a smile, or signs like outward generosity and goodwill towards others. However, happiness is still a "measurement" not an absolute.

At best happiness is a transition of mind where the individual feels the experience of self awareness is temporarily agreeable.

The key word there is transition - - because happiness can never be a constant.

Having a desire is merely a conceptualization of seeking transition from one state to another. Not being able to make that transition is what sustains the illusion of unhappiness.

If we are constantly desiring more, will we ever really be satisfied? However, if we are content with what we have, we won't need to always have more. Contentment is especially vital to cultivate when it comes to acquiring material things. Philippians 4:11, 12 helps us to learn how to be okay when we have a little, and even when we have a lot. Now, contentment is different from self-deprivation, because it isn't wrong to enjoy life, and act on desires, if they are wholesome. For a discussion on this topic, click the source link.

In a way, I agree. If you look at it, philosophically, it depends on the person. If a person is terribly greedy, and desires wealth, power and riches, that they won't ever receive, then they will lead an unhappy life full of lust. But if a person desires simple happiness, seeing the sun rise, and simple acts of life, then they will lead a content life. So it really depends on the persons point of view in life.

More desiresned moreefforts for their fulfilment. Marerial happiness is nothing but desires satisfied. More desires may mean that some or many are unfulfilled and to that extent you are unhappy. Besides, fatigues caused by working for numerous desires also brings unhappiness. Some desires don't need your action and filfilment depends on chance. Consequently, your happiness to that extent also depends on chance.

It depends on the person some people are more materialistic that others a billionaire can buy whatever they desire such as a yacht,boat but maybe they desire a stable life such as a wife who isn't just using them for their money a lot of ordinary people are unhappy because they can't afford the life of luxury that they want They feel that they aren't achieving enough The most important thing is to be positive remember there is always someone worst off If a person is happy with simple things such as the sun rising they will never feel like they need too many things Life is too short to be worrying about things you can't have

Im a natural happy person without reason, but I find that people are more unhappy the more they desire things. Whether they can afford something or not, materialism isn't what makes people happy. Yes, maybe at first they are happy after achieving something they have desired, but they will become bored. If a person isn't capable of affording certain desires they may have then usually this person will obtain more desires and become more unhappy because they cant have what it is they desire. So, I believe the more one desires the more unhappy they become.