On: Richard Feynman's blackboard at the time of his death (1988)

[adastra22]

I once wanted to learn how to change the oil in my car. I learned, and then I changed the oil in my car. It was never about wanting to want to learn about my car.

[foxglacier → adastra22]

After you learnt it, did you keep on feeling good about that forever or did it just fade away into the pile of other things you don't care about anymore while you went on to want to learn new things?

[ozfive → adastra22]

Of course, some desires are straightforward. But if every want was just about the thing itself, marketing departments would be out of a job.

[everly → adastra22]

That's fine

[adastra22 → everly]

It shouldn't be expressed as a universal then: "you never really want an object, you only want the wanting"

[genewitch → adastra22]

can you explain how an oil change is an object, otherwise it seems like you've got the wrong predicate. Knowledge isn't an object, either. Neither is "Kung Fu", "taking a shower", or "crossing the road."

I would like my own suborbital two-seat rocket plane. That is an object. I probably will never have a two-seat rocket plane. I would like to win the lottery when it's over $300mm, the object would be the $150mm in after-tax winnings. I will probably never have $150mm in lottery winnings.

I very specifically mentioned the lottery so maybe it "clicks" what's being talked about, at least the way i read it.

[adastra22 → genewitch]

Fresh oil in a car engine is an object.

[everly → adastra22]

Sounds like you've got this all buttoned up