Interests vs. Goals: thoughts on having interests with no goals and goals with no interests

[the following is derived from a journal entry on 08/26/12 and has been edited and expanded]

If I have the desire to do something (interests), and there is no perceived or arguable bad in my intention, the thing desired, or the outcome, but yet I still don't have a good reason or explanation for pursuing it (goals), then I should be OK with pursuing it- I have the chance to develop something naturally in me, which by virtue of self-development and growth is itself positive; and the good for which it may be useful might not be perceived prior to pursuing it, and it may not be applicable in its own right but might be used as part of, or in regard to, something else.

If I have the desire to attain something (goals)- to have done or attained something, yet I don't have much of a preceding desire itself for the action to attain it (interests), then I should seek to better understand the thing I really desire (if I have a desire for a goal but not an interest in the means of attaining it, then I should consider whether I really desire that goal or something else related to that goal)- I may find that what I actually desire is something that pertains as an effect of, or aspect to, the goal in consideration but is not perceived as being as much in or part of the thing through which it is sought (the means of the goal). That is- I may desire a goal and there may be means of attaining that goal involved, and so you'd think I'd have some interest in the means of attaining the goal since I have an interest in the goal and the means and the goal are correlated (at least through cause and effect), but if I find I don't have an interest in the means of attaining the goal, then perhaps what I really desire is something related/associated to the goal and not the goal itself- which may explain why there is an interest in the goal and not the means of attaining it. But this isn't to exclude the possibility that we have goals we're legitimately interested in attaining but which we don't have an interest in the means of attaining.

For example- say I decide I want to have a better understanding of world history (goal) but I realize I'm not interested in the means of attaining it (studying history), then perhaps I'm not actually interested in having a better understanding of world history but rather am more interested in social status associated with having a better understanding of world history- this would be one way of understanding why I have a goal I desire but am not interested in the means of attaining it. Another possibility in this example might be that one really does have a desire to have a better understanding of world history, but they don't like reading- thus they don't have an interest in those means of attaining the goal not because they don't actually have an interest in the content (world history) but because they don't have an interest in the method related to the content (reading). In such case what one desires really is the goal they have in mind but may seek a different means to that end; in the other case (where they don't actually desire the goal but something related to it, and thus they don't desire the means because they're associated with the original goal and not directly related to the actual desire which is simply related to achieving the original goal) one might clarify what it is they actually desire and see if there are means of attaining that desire (assuming it's good and worth pursuing) that are more directly associated with the desire, that way they are developing their desire in accordance with both the means and the newly clarified goal, rather than just the original goal which they only desire for its consequence/correlation and thus won't necessarily be satisfied in the pursuit of it. Of course, life is filled with experiences where we overcome something we don't in itself desire in order to attain something we do desire- such as enduring exercise in order to get fit, and so my point is just to seek clarity not just for the sake of avoiding any involvement in things that may not be what we desire but rather to understand what it is we desire and to decide either what we prefer or what we're willing to endure in order to attain it, depending on what options are available and known (and again, assuming its something good and worth pursuing). It's worth noting that in some cases- such as enduring exercise to get fit, we develop other qualities that are beneficial such as developing our will and determination, perhaps developing our resilience to resistance.

By seeking to better understand the actual desire and its object I can better perceive the role or correlation of the means I have in mind for it and either develop it into the desire or be more adequately disciplined in doing it by seeing its correlation to, and involvement in, seeking the thing desired. As a matter of discipline the thing which I seek to do for what I desire may still be done without fully understanding its correlation to the interest in the desired effect (when the cause and effect is understood but one's interest is in the desired effect and they don't see a relationship between the interest they have in that thing and the possible interest in the cause for attaining it)- for it may be that the correlation of interest one may have between the desire and the means is evident in the action rather than prior to it. For example, exercising- where perhaps the reason for my desire to be fit is to be able to do more things, and then through discipline I come to see that exercising is an instance of me doing more things, and so the compatibility of the interest in the goal and the means of attaining it becomes more evident, beyond just cause and effect but seeing that the desired effect is involved in the cause. This is an example of a person having a goal without interest in the means of attaining it, but then coming to have an interest in the means of attaining by seeing what it has in common with the goal. But if it's the case that what is desired, or the reason for what is desired, doesn't seem to be part of the means of attaining it then at least understanding the relationship between the cause and the effect will increase or solidify one's commitment to the cause for the sake of the effect (and I'm still speaking from the sentiment of the person having no bad intention and of the thing being good or not bad; thus, if you discover that what you really desire is something that isn't good then I don't suggest pursuing it)

But two risks are to be noted:

1) if there is no correlation between the means and goal (a person is mistaken about the connection), or the considered means are not necessary- and other more pertinent options would apply to the pursuit, or the considered means are not sufficient to bring one to the desired thing, then one risks wasting their time and not seeking their desired goal in the best way (or else seeking it in a poor way).

2) without doing this thing (the means to the desired goal) by desire one will not do it as well; partly because one will be naturally resistant to doing more than is needed- whereas if one had interest in the means then they'd be OK with doing more than what is merely sufficient since they're not interested in just the goal but in the means as well (perhaps because of what they have in common), and it will also not be done as well partly because they will always be putting more effort in for a return than if they'd done it by desire because with desire less will of effort would be required for action since the desire would move them- which favors the action more than a will of discipline since discipline is more goal/value oriented rather than a will of desire which appreciates the action itself. Another exercise example would be goal-oriented exercise vs. exercising by doing something you enjoy. But again, each has its trade-offs. And I'm speaking mostly to general experiences; there may be exceptions where one has such a strong goal in mind that they are more driven than someone who has both a desired goal and an interest in the means.

To summarize- if one has an interest (not harmful or bad, etc.) with no goal then it's worth developing the interest since it reflects a natural capacity of the person and thus develops the strengths of the person which will be beneficial when a pertinent goal is discovered, and may also lead to the discovering of that goal; or the development of the person by that interest may benefit them in a goal that isn't directly related to that action but is related to the person in an aspect that benefits the goal from the person's development from their interest. And if one has a goal without an interest in the means of attaining it then it's probably a good idea to consider what is really desired by the attaining of the goal, and if it's a good goal then to consider if there are other means of attaining it that would be of interest or to decide if the discipline to attain it is worth the goal, or to at least weigh what the cost of making a disciplined decision for that goal will be.

The Tricky Balance Between Awareness and Pursuit

You can't think about yourself and be yourself at the same time.

That's a thought I came up with a while back; my point isn't to suggest exclusion but to consider balance, perhaps to ask if and when one should think about one's self.