As stated by writer Dale Carnegie, “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion.” In summary, we, as human beings, are of a complex, multi-faceted nature, influenced by a range of emotions and conditions. Many times we let our emotions drive our behavior, especially out of desperation, leading to actions that serve only our own interests, rather than acting for the betterment of our communities. This struggle between self-preservation and ethical behavior is a universal theme that resonates deeply within the human experience. These concepts are especially reflected in works such as Elie Wiesel’s Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and Charles Bukowski’s…show more content… Wiesel’s memoir illustrates how, in the face of crisis, the instinctive desire to survive surpasses all other thoughts, driving people to act in ways they would have previously deemed unthinkable. The novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, demonstrates how desperation, in pursuit of love, drive the characters to make irrational choices, often negligently at the expense of others. More specifically, Jay Gatsby, the enigmatic protagonist of the novel, demonstrates this theme through an obsessive desire to be with Daisy, which dictates his every action. This emotional desperation leads him into questionable decisions and suspicious affairs for his immense fortune, all in an attempt to regain Daisy’s affection. Gatsby is even shown to let others fall as a result of his misdeeds, an example of his selfishness as a result of his desperation, which is particularly brought to light when Gatsby carelessly allows Walter Chase to be jailed in order to save himself, as revealed by Tom Buchanan: “And [Gatsby] you left him in the lurch, didn’t you? You let him go to jail for a month in New…show more content… This act of self-preservation highlights the extent to which strong emotions can drive individuals to make inconsiderate decisions, which disregard the safety of others, for the sake of satisfying their own hunger. This idea is furthermore demonstrated in Charles Bukowski’s poem “in this cage some songs are born”. Bukowski’s poem sings of deep sadness and existential dread, implying that desperation, accompanied by this depression, can influence individuals to act irrationally, or even selfishly: “We are brave and good even though we are selfish and kill each other and kill ourselves, we are the people born to kill and die and weep in dark rooms and love in dark rooms, and wait, and wait and wait and wait. We are the people who make it happen. We are nothing more.” (Bukowski, lines 12-23) This metaphorical language reflects how one’s self-inflicted suffering can give birth to actions that prioritize one’s own gain over others. The phrase “.and kill each other and kill ourselves,.” represents how, through our self-inflicted wounds, we hurt others in the
