Subscribe in a reader


Are you a web programmer familiar with LAMP stack and want to work from home? Please fill out an application here! Full time job, salaries range from around $1,000-$6,000/month.


As INTJs, we love to build things and increase efficiency. However, why do we want to do these things? This is of course, related to what our perception of the meaning of life.

Let’s take a look at our history to see how things got to this point. At one point, we can assume that there were two types of things that existed - things that want to exist, and things that don’t. Of course, the things that don’t want to exist stopped existing before long, and the things that wanted to exist continued to exist. We’re descendants of things that want to continue to exist, and that’s why we exist today.

So what does that mean for us? It means that we are built to exist! Every single person you see alive has chosen to be alive. These people have the option of committing suicide, but they choose not to do it. Accepting that we do want to exist, we can see that we are provided with various tools to facilitate that particular goal. I would argue that all of these tools are different forms of emotions:

Instincts - Keeps you away from things that have a decent chance of instantly destroying you. For example, when you touch a fire, or jerk away from some sort of monster trying to eat you. This is kind of a fast trigger reaction for emotions. You feel a special type of pain, so you are programmed to jerk away from that type of pain instantly.

Logic - This is like of like the opposite of instinct. It’s a slow emotion. It plans for how you will feel later, rather than now. It tells you what kind of emotion you would feel if some sequence of events happened.

While it is probably shocking to hear an INTJ say this (I was shocked myself when I came to this conclusion) - it looks to me like all motivation is emotionally based. All logic and thinking gives you is a series of if this and this, then this and this, but so what? That tells you nothing about why you should do that specific thing. This can be easily demonstrated with the existence loop: Pick anything you’d like to do, ask why you should do that thing. You’ll get the answer, “I do y because of x”. Then ask, “why do x?” Continue this process and logic will inevitably fail you because it’s a recursive loop with no base case.

When you want something, you desire it - that is a feeling. So to tell what you really want, you can just visualize the finished product of each item on your to do list, and see how you feel about it. Make sure you visualize the exact finished product of the task, what you would do with it, how people would react to it, so you get the full picture. Once you find something that you feel absolutely certain you want, then don’t let anything stop you.

For me personally, I get extremely excited by new ways of making money and new ideas. Both of these things can keep me up for 72 hours without sleep and I wouldn’t care the least bit. My feelings are also exceptionally positive when thinking about being a good father, and becoming one of the richest people in the world who solves some of the world’s most impossible problems. Deep down inside, I know that’s what I want and that I’m capable of accomplishing them. Even if I die, I would know that my life has been worth living. Feel that way about something, and you’ll know that’s what you want!

If you feel that this post has been of value to you, please leave a donation to show your appreciation and allow me to bring this value to other people as well!

Ask a question or discuss this post in the personal development forum.

Email This Post Email This Post


Related Posts


Poetry
Killing the Procrastination Syndrome
My Google Ranking For The Keyword “Blockbuster”
Napolean Hill’s Keys to Success
Where Did That Sock Come From?
The Poem “Words Like Freedom”
Support WhatIThinkAbout.com
How To Get Over a Guy / Girl
How To Find A Wife / Husband
A Little Google DeIndexing Puts Things In Perspective

Free Personal Development Email Updates

Not sure when the next article will appear?
Why not subscribe to email updates and get articles delivered to you instead?

Enter your email address:

Comments

45 Responses to “How to Find Out What You Really Want”

  1. Killing the Procrastination Syndrome on June 15th, 2007 2:11 pm

    [...] or they’re not sure whether they want to do the task. It’s a form of indecision. Simply decide whether you really want to do it, and then do it or drop it off the [...]

  2. Ian on June 18th, 2007 11:32 pm

    I don’t know if you can specifically classify everything into two domains of items that exist and items that do not exist. Because “rational” thought and emotion are still subjectively pieced together elements that construct our own personal experience; and the mind is seemingly in between both domains.

    Much of the information we percieve is ambiguous and is experienced and influenced according to your current affect. Much of the time we do not even realize the motivation behind our underlying emotions; because music and the weather, for instance, can have large effects on the memory and judgments of individuals.

    The very act of intuiting and rationalizing cannot be classified into those two domains you described.

  3. Warren on June 23rd, 2007 4:53 am

    Hmm, I think this might be a difference in terminology. I completely agree that thought and emotion are subjectively pieced together to form your experience. However, by “item”, I mean pretty much everything - the thought, the emotion, the blend, etc. and is not relegated to some physical object. If you are intuiting and rationalizing, then something is going on, and that “something” is what the word “item” refers to.

    I partially agree with your statement that we often do not realize the motivations underlying our emotions. I interpret that to mean that you can’t always come up with a logical justification to why exactly you feel the way that you do. However, that was exactly my point - any logical explanation of the “motivation” for the emotion only exist because of the existence of the emotion. Logic works more in the way of, “if I do x, I will feel y later”. Logic is used mainly to reach some conclusion, but emotions are the main thing keeping us from just killing ourselves.

  4. Give Me a Little More Time! on July 2nd, 2007 6:44 pm

    [...] How to find out what you really want [...]

  5. How To Get Over a Guy / Girl on July 23rd, 2007 3:04 am

    [...] To solve this problem, you need to stop thinking of the other person. Find something that you are passionate about, and do that. What’s the point of dwelling on something that you’ve already decided? That’s in the past! Focus on the future. If you’re having trouble finding something you’re passionate about, see how to find out what you really want. [...]

  6. Minimize Hurt Feelings From Dating on July 25th, 2007 10:17 pm

    [...] you were alone. Knowing what you’d do in this situation really helps you out in figuring out what you want. You have to learn to like yourself in this state because then, any kind of relationship breakup [...]

  7. Napolean Hill's Key's to Success on August 1st, 2007 9:37 am

    [...] my post How To Find Out What You Really Want, I talked about how to find out what you really want by consulting your emotions. I also said that [...]

  8. Singing While Running on August 31st, 2007 6:55 pm

    [...] course, this comes back to my purpose in life. There is no reason that I had to run right then. For a healthier body? I’m not bad at all [...]

  9. jayanaka on October 15th, 2007 12:48 am

    i think that this article will be veyr use full to people living in sri lanka be cause they just do any thing for the sake of doing.so if they could find out what exaxly they want to achive then they can very ambitously work towards it and be what they want.
    thank you
    jayanaka

  10. A Little Google DeIndexing Puts Things In Perspective on November 9th, 2007 7:19 pm

    [...] Get Money? (Series) My Partner’s Not Doing Enough Work! The Key To A Healthy Relationship(Series) How To Find Out What You Really Want How To Come Up With Good Business Ideas How To Overcome Fear And The Obstacles It Creates How Much [...]

  11. Why You Should Show Appreciation on November 9th, 2007 7:20 pm

    [...] Get Money? (Series) My Partner’s Not Doing Enough Work! The Key To A Healthy Relationship(Series) How To Find Out What You Really Want How To Come Up With Good Business Ideas How To Overcome Fear And The Obstacles It Creates How Much [...]

  12. How To Feel Better And Be Happier on November 21st, 2007 1:28 pm

    [...] Get Money? (Series) My Partner’s Not Doing Enough Work! The Key To A Healthy Relationship(Series) How To Find Out What You Really Want How To Come Up With Good Business Ideas How To Overcome Fear And The Obstacles It Creates How Much [...]

  13. How To Deal With Worrying on February 19th, 2008 2:21 am

    [...] you can’t seem to think of something else to focus your attention on, then you should find out what you want. After all, there’s always something you can do if you have some long term goals. Once you [...]

  14. siva prakash on March 31st, 2008 7:02 am

    For me personally, I get extremely excited by new ways of making money and new ideas. Both of these things can keep me up for 72 hours without sleep and I wouldn’t care the least bit. My feelings are also exceptionally positive when thinking about being a good father, and becoming one of the richest people in the world who solves some of the world’s most impossible problems. Deep down inside, I know that’s what I want and that I’m capable of accomplishing them. Even if I die, I would know that my life has been worth living. Feel that way about something, and you’ll know that’s what you want!

  15. Shanice on May 3rd, 2008 5:26 pm

    I think of things that I would like to have or experience, but I lack the feeling necessary to motivate me to obtain those things. I feel it is because I am dangerously satisfied but unsatisfied at the same time. I say I want things, but my actions do not reflect that. Sometimes I feel that there is something wrong with me. I used to have that fire and desire to reach my goals. Now. I feel like my fire has been blown out. I try to bring the fire back, but fail every time. Money does not motivate me and neither does material things. I have so much life in me, but have difficulty manifesting from the inside out. Does anyone else feel like this?

  16. Lars on June 2nd, 2008 6:12 am

    Shanice: I feel exactly the same. I feel paralyzed - there is incredible energy inside me, waiting to be unleashed. When I DO get passionate about something (very seldom these days), I give it my all and am often astonished myself.

    However, most of the time, I have incredible difficulty getting started. It is like very strong inertia that is virtually impossible to overcome. It’s aweful and it made me very depressed and demotivated over the years!

  17. Lee on August 13th, 2009 8:48 pm

    Wow, I’ve been reading alot of how to get over hart breaks online. U r seriously one smart dudder. Thanks so much. You actully saved someones life today. Me

  18. Luis on October 30th, 2009 6:00 am

    Your blog is just great. Your ideas are very inspiring

  19. Sara on October 31st, 2009 4:15 pm

    I think somehow along life for a lot of people the feeling of what they really like doing gets lost.
    It could be that that life takes us to do what gives money to live but not necesarely because we like doing what makes money. Over the years after so long doing what we have to do we totally loose the sense of what we really like doing.

  20. mhs on December 17th, 2009 8:06 am

    this article has been of little help and i get this strong feeling you dont believe in God. unfortunate if thats true, but i pray that you reach your goals with ease and relaize that theres a bigger picture in reality than just this life.
    im still trying to find out what i truly like to do, although im taking a preatty lax approach so thats not probably a good thing. Becasue u cant wait for life to start, u have to initiate it and enjoy the ride

  21. Feel Better and Be Happier « My WordPress Blog on February 27th, 2010 4:43 am

    [...] all, who feels happy about doing dull and meaningless things? Therefore, you should try to find out what has meaning for you. When you do something important well, you feel important too! Think about it – People who do [...]

  22. Jennifer Wood » How To Overcome Obstacle and Understand Fear For It Is The Creator on April 20th, 2010 2:04 pm

    [...] there is no way to “memorize the correct action” for each particular situation. This is where knowing your purpose in life helps tremendously. When you have a definite purpose that encompasses all situations, then you will [...]

  23. 50 Meditation & Mind Control Techniques for Weight Loss | Nursing Schools.net on June 22nd, 2010 8:07 pm

    [...] Find out what you truly want. The reality is that you might not be ready to lose weight or commit yourself to the work that it takes. Find out what you truly want in your life. Knowing that you really, really want to lose weight can be a huge factor in motivating you. [...]

  24. 50 Meditation & Mind Control Techniques for Weight Loss | on August 21st, 2010 3:37 am

    [...] Find out what you truly want. The reality is that you might not be ready to lose weight or commit yourself to the work that it takes. Find out what you truly want in your life. Knowing that you really, really want to lose weight can be a huge factor in motivating you. [...]

  25. Feye Getachew on September 10th, 2010 10:52 am

    Put as document this writting part

  26. 50 Meditation & Mind Control Techniques for Weight Loss | Weightloss Warriors on September 19th, 2010 3:32 pm

    [...] Find out what you truly want. The reality is that you might not be ready to lose weight or commit yourself to the work that it takes. Find out what you truly want in your life. Knowing that you really, really want to lose weight can be a huge factor in motivating you. [...]

  27. 50 Meditation & Mind Control Techniques for Weight Loss | Mesitol Health on November 2nd, 2010 4:33 am

    [...] Find out what you truly want. The reality is that you might not be ready to lose weight or commit yourself to the work that it takes. Find out what you truly want in your life. Knowing that you really, really want to lose weight can be a huge factor in motivating you. [...]

  28. Amanda Baker on January 13th, 2011 6:45 pm

    what you said was so right! i’m glad i found your post, i think my life is going to be happier from now on! thanks :)
    ps. keep writing more please!

  29. ALI on March 9th, 2011 7:18 am

    i neeed a wife i am black from Nigeria born on 22may1979 and single, civil servant. with FCT Judiciary Abuja.

  30. Kyle on March 13th, 2011 10:12 pm

    Remember to tell that to Tuvok the Vulcan for me! :)

  31. Andrew Halfacre on May 18th, 2011 7:26 am

    I’m not sure if this would be helpful but I can think of at least twelve ways of working out what you really want. And they include both logic and senses. Yes, I’m pimping my own book here but it may be of some help http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Know-What-You-Want/172632919458480?sk=wall or http://www.firstknowwhatyouwant.com

    Andrew

  32. Brett on August 15th, 2011 1:24 am

    I understand the suggestions from this great article. I understand what I want but am trying to determine if those wants are worthy of pursuit. If I can pick out new worth wants then I can create those feeling and desired pathways. How were you able to settle on existence as your main goal. I admire your choice but it seems as if one can pick any random idea and use it as their purpose and it will serve them well if they follow your advice. Perhaps I just need to fully appreciate the fact that no one will validate my existence in the way I am trying to have it validated. There are many questions we are not able to know at this point of our existence. I probably only care about this because I want to avoid negative feelings about being wrong. I decided as a child to use it as a fundamental pillar of my thinking and here I type my fears away.

  33. ETIENNE on August 29th, 2011 6:32 am

    HI i am a Cameroonian of age 18years old i am good by profession as an Electricien i am looking for a wife in America . +23770903041.

  34. jean on September 5th, 2011 1:49 pm

    there is this spell caster so strong and mighty,who cast a love spell for me to reunite my ex lover back to me.. after 2 years of seperation, we getting married very soon.INDIANSPELL@YAHOO.COM he came to bring joy to life. in deed you are a genuine spell casting.he does all types of spell casting
    1) LOVE SPELL
    2) BEAUTY SPELL
    3) JOB SPELL
    4) FERTILITY SPELL
    5) MAGICAL RINGS FOR EXAMS
    6) MONEY SPELL E.T.C

    meet in and you we testify of his power..
    you can reach DR shant tami VIA: INDIANSPELL@YAHOO.COM

  35. Carla on September 18th, 2011 9:13 am

    Cxxxxxx called me last night!!!! It was after the 3rd casting divine.lovespell did for me. I am still in shock! He says he has been thinking a lot about me lately and wants to see me asap in AZ to visit him for a week or so. I am so impressed with this .. amazing result which divine.lovespell@aol.com has brought to me.

  36. jack on October 6th, 2011 8:20 am

    I want people to know how helpful divine.lovespell@aol.com have been. I received an unexpected check for over $25,000… I am amazed!

  37. cyprain on December 9th, 2011 9:12 am

    nothing for now

  38. toney on January 15th, 2012 12:53 am

    toney

    The love of my life dumped me a while ago and I could not get back into any shape mentally. I love him so much I could not think, eat, talk, or walk without the ache in my heart and the thoughts in my head that were about him and the guilt I feel at cheating on him. I so wish that I could have changed the clock back and never to have experienced the raw lesson of adultery. He was so angry when he found out. Yes quite right. I am guilty. I did not think of an outcome. Ayelala shrine has helped me so much. Firstly to move the big breaks in my heart and to see all things differently. Then to ease my way through a different door in my head. He made me realize my self respect and understand the reason I have done such a thing to hurt my husband.I now believe in the powers of Ayelala shrine as my husband has said we could work things out. Thank you ayelalashrine@gmail.com thank you very much

  39. emmanuel on February 10th, 2012 10:25 am

    My name is femi I am from lago state of nigeria, I love meeting people and have fun with friends that is if u re caring and undertsanding, but right and now I leave in abuja and I am single I am raelly looking. For mrs right…..the is my number 07038938046 that is if you want to know more things about me.

  40. Diva on February 22nd, 2012 8:30 pm

    hello very body out there, i had a problem with my girl friend 2year ago, which lead to our broke up. when she broke up with me, i was not my self again, i fill so empty inside me. until a friend of my Walt pen told me about a spell caster who helped him in the same problem too. i email the spell caster and i told him my problem and i did what he asked of me, to cut the long story short. before i knew what was happening my girl friend gave me a call and told me that she was coming back to me and was so joyous to have her back to me. we have two kids together and we are happy with our selves. thanks to wiseindividualspell@gmail.com for saving my relationship and for also saving others own too. continue your good work the great spell caster.

  41. dana on March 1st, 2012 3:33 am

    a want a wife just a wife from canada or usa to make agood familly; thanks

  42. miss anita on March 16th, 2012 11:36 am

    am Anita from USA Florida.am here to share my testimonies to the whole word,my love called smith wind left me before and told me that he is know longer interested in our relationship he left. after 1year i meant a spell caster who catered a spell for me and after 3dyas my love came back to me am very happy now.any body looking for help should contact him via harrison_duba@yahoo.com

  43. toney on April 16th, 2012 10:12 pm

    The love of my life dumped me a while ago and I could not get back into any shape mentally. I love him so much I could not think, eat, talk, or walk without the ache in my heart and the thoughts in my head that were about him and the guilt I feel at cheating on him. I so wish that I could have changed the clock back and never to have experienced the raw lesson of adultery. He was so angry when he found out. Yes quite right. I am guilty. I did not think of an outcome. Ayelala shrine has helped me so much. Firstly to move the big breaks in my heart and to see all things differently. Then to ease my way through a different door in my head. He made me realise my self respect and understand the reason I have done such a thing to hurt my husband.I now believe in the powers of Ayelala shrine as my husband has said we could work things out. Thank you ayelalashrine2@gmail.com

  44. Chery on April 29th, 2012 4:04 am

    Hello everyone, My name is chery l and I need to share the good story of my life with everyone in this forum, that’s why am posting this little story of my life to everyone here to know what I have passed through in this wicked world….I have been happily married to my wonderful husband on April 2009 and God finally answered our prayers by giving us a beautiful and bouncing baby boy on September 2011 and we have been living happily thereafter but things turn around when I discover on december 2010 that my husband has been keeping late outside and sometimes he will come back heavily drunk…I have always knows Benjamin to be a loving and caring man with good heart but his sudden change of attitude toward me has been killing me gradually ever since I have discovered he never provided the basic necessity for me and the baby at home again and this has been happening ever since that time..Benjamin will spent weeks outside without coming back and he left me with so much pains and misery and I cried virtually everyday seeking for who to help me restore happiness back to my family…Though I don’t believe so much in spells but I don’t have any options than to give it a trial and see how it would work for me and my lonely baby…I have been scammed in the the hands of four different spell caster looking for who to restore happiness back to my crumbled home and bring back the love of my life not until I met this great spell caster who give me some incantation to chant with instruction to follow and i was so surprised when he conjure an items to my bed and the greatest shock of my life came to me when I saw my husband on the 5th day weeping and asking me forgive ness of sins and he later confessed me to me that he has been with another woman outside our wedlock…I have been living happily with my husband ever since that time and I am the happiest woman on earth right now because this great man restored happiness back to my family within some days and I have viewed to tell the whole world what this great man has done for me because I know hundreds of people are out there who suffers the same thing as well or with different story entirely but I assure you that this great and powerful man will restore happiness back to your life and put smiles to your life like he did to my family….You can reach this great man via his personal e mail address as…ayelalashrine@gmail.com………Thanks you very much for help me

  45. siefo on May 8th, 2012 11:41 am

    the world of truth and peace i have never believe spell in my life because i have been disappointed by many spell casters who claim to be real of which they are not, then i was still searching if i can found a real one, then i met this man called wiseindividualspell@gmail.com who told me that for me to be sure of him that i will have to pay for of he services which is i will pay half of his services, that when the spell has started working then i will pay him the remaining one immediately, then i said how much, he charge me the amount 700usd and i paid 350usd, and he told that i am going to start seeing the result of his spell after 2days that the spell has been cast, i waited for the 2day the last day my ex called my on phone begging me the she is very sorry for what she did to me, now i am with my lover happy all my thanks to wiseindividualspell@gmail.com.

Leave a Reply