Some meanings of the word "want"

[PseuTonym]

Suppose that an adult woman, who has for many years been eating ham sandwiches, converts to Islam. She resolves to cease and desist from eating ham sandwiches.

One day, her resolve weakens. She walks into a restaurant and says, “I want a ham sandwich.”

Her statement is interpreted as a request.

However, the moment that a ham sandwich is brought to her table, she says, “I have resolved to not eat ham. I’m sorry. Could you please take that away from me?”

The server replies, “What? You don’t want it?”

She says, “Honestly, I do crave it and desire to eat it. I do want it. However, I have resolved to not eat ham. So, I have no intention of eating it, and I refuse to pay for it. No restaurant should serve ham. It isn’t halal.”

Disclaimer: the above is purely fictional and isn’t intended to say anything about the behavior of actual Muslims. Nor is there any substantive philosophical content in this message.

However, this message should serve as a warning to people who believe that it is possible to base a philosophical discussion on the word “want” without elaborating on the meaning. Elaborating on the meaning is necessary as a prerequisite to a philosophical discussion. Neglecting that prerequisite might give the impression of simplicity, but it actually invites confusion and disputes about words, and those disputes will tend to distract from a discussion of ideas.

A quite different thread that uses the word “want”:
What is wanting?

 

[Karen107]

We used to ask our children is it a need or a want?. Because there is a difference. In the scenario above saying to a waiter that she 'want’s something is asking directly for a thing and the expectation to the waiter is to give the thing. Words are powerful and often misconstrued but we must look in context. With regards to wanting, Jesus teaches us what sacrifice is and that is the love that we should be practicing ‘sacrificial’ love, meaning unconditional giving of oneself to another as in the case of parental love or marital love. Often in our lives and we need to practice discipline, like in lent when we read about how Jesus roamed the desert being tested, or us giving up meat, so that if we can learn discipline, we can reject temptations that we’re exposed to throughout our lives.

So want? That’s my take on it. Is it a need or a want, we must always ask ourselves that question and never take the word ‘want’ for granted. What we want is to be a better person to others and to ourselves and to put God first in our lives.