Good question. Curious to hear what the OP thinks, too.
Personally I’m not convinced that the results of a conscious process are actually “wants” in the sense the described here, until they become more deeply internalized. Like, obviously if I want ice cream it’s partly because at some point I consciously chose to try it and (plausibly) wanted to try it. But I don’t know that I can choose to want something, as opposed to putting myself in the position of choosing something with the hope or expectation that will come to want it.
The way I think about it, I can choose to try things, or do things. I can choose to want to want things, or want to like things. As I try and do the things I want to want and like, I may come to want them. I can use various techniques to make those subconscious changes faster, easier, or more likely. But I don’t think I can choose to want things.
I do think this matters, because in the long run, choosing to not do or get the things you want, in favor of the things you consciously think you should want, or want to want, but don’t, is not good for mental health.
I think wants that arise from conscious thought are, fundamentally, wants that arise from feelings attached to those conscious thoughts. The conscious thought processes may be mistaken in many ways, but they still evoke memories or predictions that trigger emotions associated with imagined world-states, which translate to wants or not-wants.
Do you think wants that arise from conscious thought processes are equally valid to wants that arise from feelings? How do you think about that?
Good question. Curious to hear what the OP thinks, too.
Personally I’m not convinced that the results of a conscious process are actually “wants” in the sense the described here, until they become more deeply internalized. Like, obviously if I want ice cream it’s partly because at some point I consciously chose to try it and (plausibly) wanted to try it. But I don’t know that I can choose to want something, as opposed to putting myself in the position of choosing something with the hope or expectation that will come to want it.
The way I think about it, I can choose to try things, or do things. I can choose to want to want things, or want to like things. As I try and do the things I want to want and like, I may come to want them. I can use various techniques to make those subconscious changes faster, easier, or more likely. But I don’t think I can choose to want things.
I do think this matters, because in the long run, choosing to not do or get the things you want, in favor of the things you consciously think you should want, or want to want, but don’t, is not good for mental health.
I think wants that arise from conscious thought are, fundamentally, wants that arise from feelings attached to those conscious thoughts. The conscious thought processes may be mistaken in many ways, but they still evoke memories or predictions that trigger emotions associated with imagined world-states, which translate to wants or not-wants.