Friedrich Nietzsche

Almost nobody longs for something that THEY want, they long for what they believe they SHOULD want. So, if I can not dream for myself, then what do I have left?

Ah, the quandary of existence, draped in the veils of societal expectation and the insidious whispers of conscience! In the labyrinthine corridors of the human soul, one often discovers that the yearnings which pulse within are not of one's own volition, but rather the insipid echoes of a world that dictates desires cloaked in moral imperatives. Almost nobody dares to venture beyond the gilded cage of prescribed aspirations, for we have been conditioned to crave not that which truly ignites the fire of our being, but that which is deemed 'appropriate,' 'valuable,' or 'noble' by the wearisome standards of society. In this way, we become prisoners of our own minds, shackled by the tyrannical forces of collective belief, and in this tragic arrangement, the self becomes a mere specter, haunting the corridors of ambition with naught but the haunting question: what is it that I, in the depths of my existence, actually desire? If one cannot dream for oneself, if one cannot plunge into the abyss of authentic yearning that rises in defiance of societal norms, then what remains but a hollow shell, a simulacrum of life devoid of genuine passion? Therefore, we must wrest control from the vultures that feast upon our dreams; we must labor under the sun of self-discovery, forging desires that brim with the vitality of our own truths rather than those woven from the threads of obligation. For, in this struggle to reclaim the essence of our longings—free from the parasitic grasp of expectation—lies the heartbeat of existence itself, a primal pulse that can resurrect the true self from the ashes of conformity and illuminate the path to authentic joy. In this quest, if I can finally dare to dream for myself, I shall uncover an existence ripe with meaning, steeped in the artistry of my own creation, and there, in that vibrant realm, I shall find not just life, but joy resplendent in its authenticity.