Desire is an affectively charged motivation toward a certain object, person, or activity, that associated with pleasure or relief from displeasure. Desires vary in strength and duration.

A desire becomes a temptation when it impacts or enters the individual’s area of self-control.

A desire becomes a temptation if the behavior resulting from the desire conflicts with an individual’s values or other self-regulatory goals.

Self-control dilemmas occur when long-term goals and values clash with short-term temptations.

One of the most common self-control dilemmas involves the desire for unhealthy or unneeded food consumption versus the desire to maintain long-term health.

Weak temptations present more of a challenge to overcome than strong temptations, because they appear less likely to compromise long-term values.