Change what you want

Although our natural ignorance ensures that what we initially believe to be best will be less than what is actually best, there is no reason to remain so ignorant and certainly no reason to ignore what would be abundantly obvious if we were more honest.

What you want is based on your understanding. When you learn more about the world or yourself, what you want will change. Too frequently, people persist in pursuing their old desires even after their desires have changed.

If what you want changes, change what you want. What you want is not some inexorable edict carved in stone. Rather, it’s the flexible interpretation of your accumulated experiences and beliefs. What you want should be as flexible as your experiences—which will continue to grow—and your beliefs—which ought to be improving in accuracy¹ and coverage² over time.

The following tactic, employed early and often, can help you discover when your actions are out of alignment with your actual desires. Ask yourself:

1. What do you want?
2. Why do you want it?
3. Is there is anything better? If there is, pursue it instead.

As you pursue what you want, you will discover that both what you pursue and the cost to obtain it are different than what you believed. Discontinue pursuit of what is revealed to cost more than you believe it to be worth.³ When you discover that what you seek is worth less than you thought, find something better to take its place.