Need. Want. Desire.

I had an interesting question posed to me recently. It went more-or-less like "so, what is it that you want?"It's such a simple question on the face of it. Of course you know what you want, right?I'm not completely sure.For simple things that are easily quantifiable it's probably easy. If I ask "Do you want me to give you $10?" your likely answer is going to be yes. You might be a bit paranoid and ask what I want in return, but most folks would like to have more money.It's like Heisenberg's uncertainty principle applied to life. You might think you know what you want as you are answering the question, but as you start going down the path to the "want" you are yourself changed. What it was that you wanted can be different.As you start to mix emotion into the picture this gets even fuzzier. If you are asked "do you want to fall in love" most people answer "of course." Unless they are already in a committed relationship and the notion of multiple love is off the table. That notion is an abstract. The abstract is made concrete through interaction. The simple answer grows ever more complex.The same can be applied the other way around. How many people do you know that started off as friends but then grew to loveEven if that love is inconvenient.

- = -

My point here isn't love -- I picked it because most people can relate to it. My point is the question of what you want? It seems so easy on the face of it. But as you walk down the path of want, the want itself is changed. Sometimes it becomes a need. Sometimes it becomes a do not want.The rails of life are always laid behind you. In front of you, you just have the inertia that is propelling you into the unknowable;  the rails don't exist yet.

Previous
Previous

Laws, Crime, Punishment

Next
Next

Real life