Monday, April 30, 2007

What Do You Want Most?


This is where anonymity comes in handy.
In the past few days, I've asked several people, "What do you want most?"
Everyone has a completely different outlook, a completely different perspective and a completely different answer. I find the answers fascinating.
So I'd like to poll my readers...what do you want most? Note that I'm not asking you what you ought to want most, what you should want most, what you are obligated to desire. I am asking you what you do want the most. Whether it is irrational, evil, or something you could never possess, in fact, something no human could possess, what is it?
Feel free to answer anonymously. It might even be better if you would do that. But do create some interesting names! :D

42 comments:

Moshe said...

Happiness.

the only way i know said...

As you... I've also had a friend who was to me - identical in almost every way- what your 'friend' (in your 'my friend' post) was to you. ... including the desire to get to know him better..
At this point in my life, it's what I wish most.
After that... well, I'd have to think about it... but I'm thinking that continued good health, peace of mind and succeeding in my goals -would be amongst the competitors

Chana said...

Hmmm. It occurs to me that those words are apparently now fraught with unintended meaning. I only meant that I'd like to know more about my friend in the same way that I know interesting things about other friends of mine.

That being said, that's not what I want most...but I won't tell you what I want most, since it would reveal too much about me.

Ezzie said...

Hey, wait. I answered you - I think you should answer the same. :) (Unless I already know it.)

Ezzie said...

Making others happier.

Holy Hyrax said...

a time machine

Holy Hyrax said...

Making others happier.

wuss.

chardal said...

I don't really want anything that much

Well. Maybe I WOULD like my lunch to finaly arrive - but I don't think that qualifies for 'MOST'.

I guess I have to go with a classic:

"I want Moshiach now and I don't want to wait!"

Irina Tsukerman said...

I want a job.

( I know, that's kind of prosaic, but... at this point, I'm extremely worried about it. I'm sure once I do get at least one offer, I'll be able to focus on more interesting desires.)

Anonymous said...

1. Good Health, and a refuah shelima to the sick of Am Yisrael.

2. The return of our kidnapped IDF soldiers.

3. Jewish Leadership that we can respect and honor.

On a very personal level...I wish I could earn enough money for my wife not to work...and then...perhaps one day, earn enough money so that I could pursue all the things I'd love to do, but cannot, do to the constraints of having to provide for a family.

Scraps said...

I want to be happy--not the happiness that comes of superficial or temporary things or events, but the deep, lasting, internal happiness that comes from self-knowledge and self-confidence. I want to be loved, and to know that I am loved, but further than that, to know and understand and believe that I am loveable.

Anonymous said...

A clear idea of how to best use my talents in contributing to a meaningful life.

Anonymous said...

This poll is nothing like i expected. At the very least, i was looking for Chana to show up anonymously, saying that his/her deepest wish was to tear someone apart with his/her bare hands. Or *something* benifitting the very clear intro given to this page.

been thinking for a while bout my deepest wish...

I came up with:
-living in Israel, while living in the same country as my family, all while living with a sense of freedom
-getting whisked into the world of LOTR and being part of that quest, of that fellowship-and-beyond
-the great all-pervading special desire to pass on my genes
(heck. that 'special' was supposed to come out as 'racial', except the noun was to have been species rather than race. well "special" it is. funny, seeing how unique is EXACTLY the message i DIDN'T want to convey.)

Anonymous said...

not 'benifitting', rather 'befitting'

Chana said...

Ezzie,
No, I'm not telling.

Holy Hyrax,
:D So you really want to go back to the squalid past? Actually, don't answer that. Do you ever feel like you were born into the wrong century? Every so often, I do...imagine how amazing a Time Machine would be in terms of religiosity. We could finally prove someone to be right! ;)

Irina,
Good luck finding a job!

Anonymous,
Your wish is beautiful. Thank you and I hope there comes a time when it is fulfilled.

Scraps,
Also beautiful. I hope that you do come to see yourself as a lovable, wonderful person and achieve that deep sense of happiness.

Whoever "me" is, we should be friends.

Split Personality,

Why do you think I'm so violent? Who do I want to tear with my bare hands? And why are you insinuating that I'm male?

There's a very clear intro? It went over my head...this is great art, what you're doing. You're reading deep, grand meaning into my words :D

Incidentally, your "special desire" line made me laugh, and then my roommate asked, "What's so funny?" to which I vaguely responded, "Oh, stuff..."

Anonymous said...

To have clear vision.

Anonymous said...

nonono, not insinuating you're male. implying that if you went anonymous to regale us with your secret wish, you might disguise your gender.
And no, sorry, didn't mean to imply violence, just any non-soico-acceptable wish. After all, that's that deep intro i seem to have made up: don't share what you OUGHT to want most (mashiach, etc), rather what you DO want most (to get a mohawk and keep your friends; to break a law; etc).

Holy Hyrax said...

We could finally prove someone to be right! ;)

or something wrong :'(

Chana said...

Split Personality,

Ah, no- you didn't make that intro up. You're right- at some point I'll have to dedicate a post to all the things I'm supposed to want and don't want at all.

I don't have a non-socially acceptable wish; I have an impossible wish, something that I think no one can ever give me.

Also, do I know you (in real life?)

Holy Hyrax,

Yes, notice that I specifically said we could prove someone right- not necessarily us, eh? I was speaking to you... :D

Anonymous said...

Well, bleep, Chana, go anonymous and tell us! (If that's too obvious, go anonymous many, many times, and tell us many, many things... unless of course you really plan on writing a whole post about it. Or you could encourage your readers to submit anonymous wishes, then you wouldn't stick out.)

Anonymous said...

hmmm... just read your profile. Does your wishlist answer my question?

Chana said...

Split Personality,

Why are you so interested? ;)

Plus you didn't answer me- do I know you?

Chana said...

All that my wishlist shows you is a picture of Calvin and Hobbes sitting atop the earth. How could that possibly answer your question? I'm curious now.

More importantly, I'll ask for the third time- do I know you? Are we friends?

Anonymous said...

true love which only gets better as time passes. someone who makes me happy and complete.

to know my individual purpose and be on the road to fulfilling it.

not to feel trapped by obligations or situations.

SJ said...

I want not to stress about my decisions. To know what is right and do it and be happy with it.

I want to write. I want to be inspired, and make a contribution that will last longer than I will.

Anonymous said...

Every single person would be listen to me and see me as leader not to pity on.

Sarah Likes Green said...

What I want most is to wake up in the morning and find out that everthing is better, that mum is totally ok, that things are going in the direction I'd like them to, that I'll be in the place I want to be rather than where I am.

M.R. said...

I want to bother Chana? No... Really. I want to be immortal, I think (though that's inspired by SJ's comment). Immortal *and* fullfilled *and* happy. I think that really sums it up. I win. Oh, yes. And I want to win.

Anonymous said...

You answer my question, and I'll answer yours.

You say you want something impossible. Your wishlist looks rather impossible. If it were a clue, I would perform great art and read deep, grand meanings into your little icon. But as you seem to imply that that pic is NOT the answer you have asked us all for...

Chana said...

Split Personality,

I don't know who you are- or do I? but you make me laugh, so thank you.

I can't answer your question here- but if you email me, I will. How's that?

I do NOT want world domination, if that's what you're insinuating...

Anonymous said...

No, I was NOT implying world dominion wishes: a) that's not impossible b) Calvin&Hobbes have little to nothing to do with world domination. I am refraining from analyzing the image, cuz you imply that will be wasting my time (and may i add, my considerable talents).

Anonymous said...

as is

Anonymous said...

1. A clear grasp of my mission in this world.

2. What steps to take to accomplish that mission.

3. The ability not to look back and second guess.

Anonymous said...

I want the truth.

the only way i know said...

lol -
yep I guess your touching words seemed fraught with more depth than you possibly intended.. although it's beautiful to express yourself that way even without a 'deeper meaning intended' -
I have done the same to wonderful people in my life.. giving tribute to them with my gift for writing- moving and beautiful - without any deeper motivation, but simply to express my feelings.

Funny - when I think again about my response on this post- and why I particularly chose 'what I want 'most'' was to be to get to know this person better.... I think it's because I find it challenging and would find self satisfaction in managing to do so.
That said.. I feel I must change my mind from it being what I want 'most' , to what I'd find satisfying'.

What I want 'most' still remains in the other areas I've mentioned above..
..

and I also want 'mashiach now' :-)

(but still want to work on myself spiritually before he gets here!)

Tobie said...

I once invented the most annoying possible way of answering 'genie-three-wishes' type questions and that was as follows:

I would not wish for anything. Money's no good- real riches are responsibility and I'm already, thank G-d, comfortably middle class. Long life is all very well, up to a point, but not that fantastical. Mashiach has an unpleasant lead-in, and early arrival may mess up the plans of the universe. Power is stressful, extra intelligence is a drag, happiness can't be given unless it's an artificial drug, beauty would probably get annoying fairly quickly....

everything that I want isn't something that can be given to me without losing its usefulness- like niceness, happiness, patience, good behavior, and so forth.

It's obviously a cop-out, but it's the best answer I got.

the only way i know said...

tobie,
but then you can wish for the thing that you wish for, to be wonderful forever and not lose its value!

Anonymous said...

I want to be great. I'm already good. I want more.

Anonymous said...

you guys are obviously all young. which made me think... i want most to be young again. i want to be 18 in college, choosing courses, flirting with guys, dreaming of the possibilities, and with the hope of a great marriage. i am not jealous, really. at 38, just incredibly wistful lately. i love my younger self. i miss her.

the apple said...

To have clarity when making decisions and to have siyata dishmaya in everything I do. To have a closer connection to Hashem, and to not procrastinate so much.

Erachet said...

As selfish as it is, there are a few things I really, very much do want (if that is a grammatically correct sentence) :)

1. To be a bestselling author and to inspire and make a difference through my books.

2. To be an actress. Oh, how I wish!

3. To rise above the rest in something I'm good at.

4. To read everything ever that there is to read.

5. Sort of goes along with #1, but to really make a difference in this world. I want to leave a lasting footprint, an impression, a finger print, something that says I was a part of this world and I made a difference for the better.

So yeah, some of that sounded a bit selfish, I guess. But you did ask. =D

Erachet said...

Oh, and in rereading your post, I notice you mentioned desires no human could possess, so here goes...Dude, MAGICAL POWERS. I'm surprised no one seems to have said that yet! I'd LOVE to be able to fly. And to turn invisible. And to make other people's feet stick to the floor. And all sorts of fun things.