Urges vary in strength, but it isn’t usual to speak of one goal being stronger than another—except in the sense that it’s powered by more urges. But goals, too, would seem to vary in strength. A goal’s strength would bear some relationship to the expected value of striving to attain it.
You overstate the disconnection between urges and goals because you don’t consider the consequences of goals having intrinsic strength, apart from their extrinsic association with urges. A stronger goal exerts a stronger pull to recruit urges to its service. Unless we’re neurotic, we don’t typically ignore our strongest goals because of a dearth of supporting urges.
Urges vary in strength, but it isn’t usual to speak of one goal being stronger than another—except in the sense that it’s powered by more urges. But goals, too, would seem to vary in strength. A goal’s strength would bear some relationship to the expected value of striving to attain it.
You overstate the disconnection between urges and goals because you don’t consider the consequences of goals having intrinsic strength, apart from their extrinsic association with urges. A stronger goal exerts a stronger pull to recruit urges to its service. Unless we’re neurotic, we don’t typically ignore our strongest goals because of a dearth of supporting urges.
Thought provoking post.