My favorite Michael Jackson song is I Want You Back. I like it for two reasons. First, the song rocks. Period. Second, and please excuse me for being a huge dork, but the song reveals the truth of human desire.

Boy has girl.

Boy no longer desires girl.

Girl finds another boy.

Boy imitates desire of other boy and wants girl back.

Few lyrics sum up human desire better than these: “Oh darlin I was blind to let you go, But now since I see you in his arms, I want you back, Yes I do now, I want you back.”

Our desires do not arise from somewhere within our own self, but they are borrowed from others – from models. Borrowed desire leads us into rivalry with one another for objects. You can see easily how two boys that desire the same girl would fall into a rivalry.

Now, take this a step further.

Michael Jackson was deified as the model of success for our culture.  As Dick Clark states in the quote above, “Many have tried and will try to copy him, but his talent will never be matched.” We aspire to be successful, to be famous, but few can achieve it on the level of Michael Jackson. As our model of success, Michael pointed to our inability to achieve success.  We envy his success for the simple fact that we couldn’t have his success. Since we couldn’t have it, we demonized him and enjoyed watching his downfall.

Indeed, Michael Jackson’s life was tragic and full of mistakes. But we should not miss the warning his life presents to us. Borrowed desires lead us into envy and destructive rivalry with one another, especially with the people closest to us. (For example, the tumultuous relationship between Michael and his father.) Is there a way out of this trap? Is it possible to transform our borrowed desires into constructive cooperation with one another?

If you figure that one out, please let me know.