Longing for someone – or something – can be even more thrilling than getting what you want. That knowledge has inspired endless movies, but what do real people yearn for? We asked the question in Glasgow
In a world of instant gratification, is it any surprise that many of us have fallen back in love with the idea of “yearning”? Running counter to much of today’s on-demand culture, yearning melds desire and distance, nostalgia and uncertainty; longing for something, or someone, can sometimes appeal in a way that getting exactly what you want cannot.
The resurgence of yearning – especially in the romantic sense – has been one of the biggest entertainment themes of the last couple of years: from The Summer I Turned Pretty and Heated Rivalry to the latest big-screen adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, the allure of unmet desire and slow-burn love has topped hasty happy-ever-afters. TikTok remains awash with recommendations for those who want to #feeltheyearn.