I don't know what I want from life. What to do?translated

Gleb TKACHENKO

psychologist

You asked a question that almost every adult asks himself at different times. There is no catastrophe in it, and answering it is more interesting than it seems at first.

Perhaps you have lost not the meaning of life, but the connection with your own “I want”

Often this question appears when the old life is no longer captivating, and the new one has not yet begun. Previous goals have been achieved or have become worthless, other people’s programs have been completed, but your own has not been written. And a person stops at some point in his life with the feeling that there is nowhere to move further.

The ability to want rarely disappears completely. It’s just that many of us are taught from childhood to live from the “should”, and the habit of listening to ourselves is gradually dying out as unnecessary. Decisions are made because it’s the way it’s supposed to be, it’s the right thing to do, that’s what everyone does. Men are also especially strongly taught to want the right things, like a career, status, and income. And you can honestly chase after what you should have and even catch up, and then discover that your own desire was never there. If something similar has happened to you, this question can be the start of a more thoughtful conversation with yourself that is more healthy than lost.

Is in your...