Enslavement by Desire (Chapter 6)

There are various points that struck me in reading chapter 6. Many things I agree with and others I don't quite understand.

I do think that we are all slaves to our desires. We are people who yearn for instant gratification. Instant gratification is the need to fulfill our wants and needs instantly, just like a baby who cries because they are hungry and the ,other rushes to feed them. Is it that hard to learn delayed gratification? Is it hard not to be enslaved by our yearnings or our wants? In my opinion that is why we have so many problems in the world, because we want to continually satisfy our desires and we will do anything , even if it means hurting others in the process. The cycle is never broken because many cannot control their lusts/desires. They let their desires run their lives. We suffer by our own means, we suffer because we haven't taught ourselves the art of delayed gratification; and within our suffering we do project the frustration on others causing arguments, violence, war. The only way we can reach peace is if we give up our material possessions and stop giving into our desires, but can people do that? That cellphone we just bought? The i pod? our prized collection?One of my favorite quotes from Chapter 6 is , "We find ourself driven by desire, cravings which are never really satisfied, for many desires are never met , leaving us frustrated, or if they are satisfied, the satisfaction is ephemeral. As soon as one desire is met, a new desire takes its place." So does this mean that humans cannot break this on going cycle? Are we forever enslaved to our desires?
Another thing that really caught my attention in this chapter is the quote that says "The most amazing thing is that although everyone sees his parents dying, and everyhting around him dying , still we live as though we will live forever." Why is that? Why do humans see so much death, yet they feel as though they are invincible? Again giving into their desires, they buy thosands of dollars worth of clothes, buy the most extravagant car , and the biggest house thinking that they are going to live forever but they aren't.
I heard a story once : There was once a poor guy who lived in a poor village. Every day he promised that if he had money he would buy food , and help everyone. One day he received money from a rich family member who died a became the richest man in the village. He then decided to buy out all the land leaving those who he promised to help homeless. Then he bought many cattle and sheep, and as soon as he finished buying everything he dropped dead. He gave into his material possessions, not keeping his promise of sharing his wealth and he died not able to enjoy his possessions." I think if people actually accepted the inevitability of death, they would rely less on material possessions and more on trying to live their lives. Its not hard to view deaths inevitability, because death happens everyday, so why would one think they are special as to not think that death would come to them?