You Don't Know What You Want
A meditation on desire, conditioning, & clarity.
Most of our desires aren’t original — they’re inherited, absorbed, or copied.
Our wants are shaped many by many unseen forces:
Mimetic desire makes us want what we think others want.
The shadow buries uncomfortable truths and drives us into denial.
Ego scripting lets past experiences silently dictate the story we think we’re living.
These forces guide our choices outside of our conscious awareness.
We chase goals that aren’t really ours.
We react, follow trends, and cling to identities we didn’t consciously choose.
So, how do we tell the difference? What do we truly want?
In Zen, we're taught that clarity arises when the mind is still — not when it’s chasing answers, but when it stops asking the question.
When we pause, quietly observe, and begin to cut the threads of attachment, expectation, and identity, something shifts.
Our true desires begin to surface — not the ones we perform or pursue out of habit, but the true foundation that shapes our authentic life goals and creative callings.
Thanks for writing it
💕 thanks for writing about this.
You know what’s happened to be before with knowing (or not knowing) what I want? Is that I caught myself being frustrated at not getting what I wanted but it was all due to not knowing what I wanted. That was major for me… it prompted me think how many times I’ve felt frustrated at life (or at myself) all because I didn’t realize I didn’t really know what I wanted and if I did know I probably would’ve gotten it.