The Desire for A Good Life
Let us discuss desires, wants, choices, and decisions.
To summarize: Desires generate wants, Wants shape the choices you notice, Choices force you to confront your priorities, Decisions reveal who you are—or who you’re trying to become.
Is it true that people do what they want to do?
If a person has free will and freedom, then can such a person do what they want to do?
If a person has free will and freedom, then can anyone force such a person do what they don't want to do?
So, if there are many reasons for a person not doing the things that they want to do, then what can one certainly say about what a person actually does?
If a person has free will and the freedom to choose, then what will this person choose to do?
What would you choose to do?
Why would "want to do" not be a suitable substitution over "choose to do" in our conversation?
Wants are many; possible choices are few; the chosen action is one.
A person claiming "I will do what I want to do" is engaging in what?
To summarize: we decide to do things that are available in the menu of choices. However, our particular choice usually favors our dominant want that can still be satisfied.
If most wants cannot be satisfied, then can a person still have a good life?
It is surprising, even paradoxical, that even when most wants cannot be satisfied, a person can still have a good life.
Technically though, is it a paradox?
What can be said about a person who decides to investigate about "living a good life"?
Can you summarize the flow of our conversation and its salient points.