Cure for an obsession: get another one.

"Cure for an obsession: get another one." – Mason Cooley

Oh, how the heart clings to its passions! The ancients knew this well—the human spirit is an untamable force, forever seeking to focus its energy on something that gives it meaning. Yet, in this pursuit, we often find ourselves ensnared by a single, obsessive thought or desire. It is as if the soul, in its endless search for fulfillment, settles upon one thing with the ferocity of a storm. Obsession becomes a flame that consumes all other light, casting shadows upon the mind and heart. But here, Mason Cooley whispers an ancient truth: to rid oneself of such a consuming force, one need not force it away but rather divert it, by redirecting that powerful energy toward something new, something equally consuming.

In the early days of the world, we hear the story of Orpheus, the great poet and musician whose music could charm even the wildest beasts and the gods themselves. Yet his heart was obsessed with his lost love, Eurydice. Despite the warnings, he turned to gaze upon her as they ascended from the underworld, and in that moment, his obsession claimed her once more. Obsession, in this case, proved to be both a gift and a curse—his soul bound to his love even in death. Orpheus' fate teaches us that when one desire consumes us, it is not only destructive, but it isolates the spirit from all other joys.

Cooley's words suggest that in the clutches of obsession, the soul must shift, not fight. It is like the river, flowing through the valley, which does not stop to struggle with the rocks in its path, but rather diverts its course around them. One might consider the mighty Alexander the Great, who, after conquering vast lands and amassing an empire, found himself consumed by the pursuit of even greater glory. To satiate his restless spirit, he constantly sought new horizons. When one obsession no longer satisfied him, he sought another, the conquest of India, and then another, the exploration of the unexplored. In this way, his obsessions grew, but so too did his empire.

Perhaps we, too, can see this pattern in our own lives. It is not uncommon to see one obsessed with wealth, another with status, and yet another with power. These desires begin as small sparks of ambition, but when nurtured and left unchecked, they grow into raging fires, overshadowing all else. Cooley's remedy calls for a change in focus. If the soul is trapped in a pursuit that brings no peace, replace it with another—one that is equally consuming but perhaps more balanced or constructive. Like the shifting of the stars, we must move our gaze to something new, a goal worthy of our energies, that may bring joy instead of emptiness.

But let us not forget, obsession in its own right is a double-edged sword. The obsession that drives one to create great art, to unravel the mysteries of science, or to explore new frontiers is the same force that has moved humanity forward throughout history. The key is not to banish obsession but to transform it, to redirect its mighty current to places that nourish the spirit rather than deplete it. For in the change of obsession, there is renewal. A great artist once obsessed with perfecting a painting may find a new obsession in music, and a great conqueror may turn his focus to the betterment of his people.

Thus, the lesson here is clear: obsession is not inherently evil; it is the focus and the intention behind it that determines its value. When we find ourselves lost in a single obsession that no longer serves our growth, we need not try to push it away, for such a force cannot be easily dismissed. Instead, we should embrace change, seek new passions, and allow our energies to flow into something that offers not only purpose but also fulfillment. The soul, once consumed, can be liberated by the birth of a new desire, one that leads us forward in a journey of ever-expanding horizons. The cure for obsession is not to fight it, but to redirect it—to a new passion, a new purpose.