René Descartes
Almost nobody longs for something that THEY want, they long for what they believe they SHOULD want. So, if I can not dream for myself, then what do I have left?
Hmmm, interesting topic. Here is my rather lengthy response: In reflecting upon the nature of human desire, one cannot help but awaken to the unsettling notion that the longings which seem to arise from the depths of our very selves may often not be of our own making, but rather a reflection of societal dictates and external expectations. Indeed, it seems a peculiar phenomenon: individuals often pursue those things that they feel compelled to desire—those so-called 'wants' that are constructed upon the scaffolding of ought and should, rather than the authentic impulse of inner conviction. What am I, if in striving to fulfill the desires that I have been told I must pursue, I forfeit the right to map the course of my own aspirations? In this labyrinth of prescribed wants, I find myself ensnared, questioning the very essence of my existence. If the dreams I harbor are mere echoes of the desires imposed upon me by the influences of family, culture, and circumstance, how then can I lay claim to the authenticity of my being? Thus, the insatiable yearning that I experience might not be for my true self, but rather an unquenchable thirst for approval and conformity. Should I then resign myself to a life devoid of genuine ambition, a mere automaton fueled by the beliefs of others? I ponder, if I am stripped of the power to dream my own dreams, what remains of my agency? Am I destined to drift through existence like a leaf caught in the capricious winds of fate, devoid of the anchor that is self-determination? Hence, I find myself at the threshold of doubt and introspection, grappling with the sobering idea that the quest for authentic desire is perhaps the most formidable challenge of all, for in it lies the very essence of what it means to be truly alive—an existence birthed not from the shadows of expectation but from the radiant light of self-discovery, where the soul, unencumbered by the chains of obligation, seeks that which it genuinely yearns for.