Why We Make Choices

The reason why we make choices is defined by our intent.

So when we commit to an action it's because we want something. This desire is the intent that drives our choice. But there are usually multiple surface intents that hide and distract us from the root.

For example, we when we go out partying for the weekend our intent is to have fun, hang out with our friends, meet new people, and go dancing. And all of these reasons are true so if we were to self-reflect and ask ourselves why we were going out to party, we can easily answer.

But underneath these surface intents, there might be a hidden root intent. The real reason might be because we want to escape the stress of work, we don't want to feel alone, we want to create stronger bonds with friends, or we want to find a relationship.

In finding the root of our intent we can see the main driving force of our choice and use that knowledge to make other choices.

If our main intent is to escape the stress of work, we can make choices to reduce that stress or choose to find another job. Or if it's to create stronger bonds with our friends, we can choose to plan other activities that make it easier to do this.

Of course, there might not be any hidden root intent and one of the surface intents is the root. Regardless of the case, we can still use that knowledge.

The root of our intent is the reason why we make choices. In knowing what drives our choices, we can make other choices that align better with our intent. By doing this we can reach the things we want in our life more directly.