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"Un homme peut faire ce qu'il veut mais ne pas vouloir ce qu'il veut"

Arthur Schopenhauer

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Simplified Meaning:

People have the freedom to make choices and take actions according to their desires, but they don’t have control over which desires or wishes they have in the first place. For example, you might decide to study a certain subject because you find it interesting. You can choose to spend your time doing this. However, you didn't consciously choose to find that subject interesting—you just do. In real life, think about someone who decides to help others because it makes them happy. They can choose to volunteer or work in places where they can assist others. Yet, the feeling of happiness that comes from helping isn't something they chose; it happened naturally. This idea advises us to understand that while we can control our actions, we can't always control our desires or what makes us happy and motivated. Accepting this can help us make better decisions in life and reduce frustration when our desires don't align with our actions.

Related tags
Choice Desire Determinism Free will Human nature Inner conflict Motivation Philosophy Psychology Volition
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