Do We Know What We Want?

Almost all of us could come closer to having what we want, if we were sure we knew what we wanted. Of course we want “happiness” and “peace” and “plenty” – and many other things that we could mention. But we must answer these questions also: What would make us happy? What would give us peace? How much would we think was “plenty”? Perhaps we could answer by pointing to other people who have what we think we want. But they aren’t always happy, either. And if what they have doesn’t make them happy, how can we be so sure that it would make us happy? Sometimes we set our hearts fun things and think we can’t be happy unless we have them. But many things we once thought we wanted, we soon tired of after we got them. And even if we don’t tire of them, often they don’t make the difference between happiness and unhappiness. Some things don’t make as much difference as we thought they would. In this blessed land we live in, our comforts, our conveniences are almost beyond belief – much more than kings once could have had. But can anyone say for sure that people are happier now than they ever were? And yet others look at us and say, “If we had what they have, we would be happy.” Perhaps it wasn’t intended that we should have complete contentment. Perhaps the reaching and the searching were meant to be. But those who come closest to happiness are those who really know what they want – those who have some good goal and are willing to work for it, and those who have faith – a faith that helps them to survive the delays and disappointment. But it seems probable that more people are unhappy because they don’t know what they want than because they can’t have what they want.