What is the point of the Mirror of Erised?

Question

Dumbledore tells Harry that

"[The Mirror of Erised] shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible."
  -Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 12

What was the reasoning behind the mirror's creation? What purpose would it serve?

NKCampbell · Accepted Answer

Unknown / just for fun

later an ideal hiding location for objects

It's worth noting that "Erised" is "Desire" spelled backwards

The Mirror of Erised is a very old device. Nobody knows who created it, or how it came to be at Hogwarts School...The Mirror of Erised is one of those magical artefacts that seems to
  have been created in a spirit of fun (whether innocent or malevolent
  is a matter of opinion), because while it is much more revealing than
  a normal mirror, it is interesting rather than useful. Only after
  Professor Dumbledore makes key modifications to the mirror (which has
  been languishing in the Room of Requirement for a century or so before
  he brings it out and puts it to work) does it become a superb hiding
  place, and the final test for the impure of heart.

Source: J.K. Rowling

https://www.pottermore.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/the-mirror-of-erised

EvilSnack · Answer

As a fictional device its purpose is to communicate to the reader the most fundamental issues Harry faces: He is cut off from the people who love him the most, and therefore he has no root or anchor in the world.

Answered by EvilSnack on June 29, 2021

What is the point of the Mirror of Erised?

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