Its remarkable features are that it comes out of commonly experienced conditions which can be as mild as noticeable discomfort, and its procession is a logical one. These features make the understanding of egotism very accessible, and thus show how dangerously infectious it is. Thus he drew his misery around him like a regal mantle. . . Elliston becomes the archetype of the egotist, and ultimately, of anyone in the human condition. Elliston's pride may not at first appear to be the sin from which all other sins are derived, but such is the case.
All actions swell out of the self from desires.
A desire is a wish for a condition which differs somehow from the present condition. In other words, desire arises from and is defined by dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs. Depending upon degree, this dissatisfaction, which is proportional to its engendering desire, may cause more or less misery. Misery, then, exists between the appearance and satisfaction of desire. One can see how a chronic desire will create a destructive cycle.