Knowing what you want

We are not good at knowing what we want. One of the biggest reasons is that what we tend to think we want is often based on a false hope.

When we are looking for a new outfit, we imagine a beautified version of ourself fitting in it. We are at best ready for disappointment when we actually find ourself in a mirror putting on it.

Unless it's about something we are already familiar with, there will be a certain degree of cognitive dissonance. As our expectation turns out to be possibly false, we'd silently switch to an easier option and din ourself that it's a better choice, rather than try to carry out the formerly-ideal option to the end. After then, we seek only affirmative information that supports our decision, which is known as confirmation bias. Now the new ideal option B has become concocted as if that was the one we wanted from the beginning.

Don't take I'm saying that's a bad thing. In fact, in most cases, that would be economically rational. If there's an easier option, what's the point to not take it? That saves a lot of time and energy. As we grow up, we learn to give up hallucinatory omnipotence of our childhood. We know that's a decent strategy for survival.

However, there comes along a byproduct that what you think you want could generally be wrong. What you say you want could be a lie.

That complicates things a lot. We highly depend on a verbal communication in this world, but the consequence here is that it's not reliable.

I think the only viable alternative is to watch what people actually do instead of asking people what they want. Work on a real thing to let people play around with, and discover what they really want.