Hacker News Reader

I believe you are making the common mistake of confusing what people really want (the desires they act on), and what they say they want. What people say they want is usually "the thing that they want to want" - it's a bit meta. You can call that "lying" if it makes you feel better, but pretty close to everybody does it.

View on HN

>I believe you are making the common mistake of confusing what people really want (the desires they act on), and what they say they want.

In other words drug addicts really want to be addicts. Otherwise they would have given up already.

I suppose it's a useful canard if you're trying to justify American pro-corporate agricultural policy.

> In other words drug addicts really want to be addicts.

That is a reasonably accurate definition of the word "addiction", yes. When they no longer want the drug, then they are not addicted to it any more (this is a good example of how hard it can be to really change your desires).

You appear to have some unstated objection to the notion that a dysfunctional desire is still a desire. I don't think this conversation can make any meaningful progress if you continue to avoid stating it.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com