want
I've had a conceptualization lately of want as an electrical circuit: it's either open or closed. On or off. The phrase "I don't know what I want" strikes me as absurd. When you want (or don't want) something, you'll know it. Want is positive or negative, but not neutral.
"I don't know what I want for dinner" means you can't decide what to order from the menu. There's a big difference between indecision and want. I want the steak. I don't want the deep-fried parmesan [gag]. Don't say "I don't know what I want to order," but rather, "I can't decide what to order."
I tried explaining this to my brother a few weeks ago, and he asked if I had been smoking pot.
"I don't know what I want for dinner" means you can't decide what to order from the menu. There's a big difference between indecision and want. I want the steak. I don't want the deep-fried parmesan [gag]. Don't say "I don't know what I want to order," but rather, "I can't decide what to order."
I tried explaining this to my brother a few weeks ago, and he asked if I had been smoking pot.
Comments
I can decide that I think you must have bumped your head. Many times.
There is pink coming out of the cat. Good stuff.
Shouldn't you be concerned about the fact that the not wanting of "don't want" differs (logically) from the desire to not?
That is "I don't want the parmesan crusted bullshit" does not contain the implicit gag. For that we should say "I want to not have the parmesan crusty bullshit".
Of course "I want to not have..." sounds awkward to me. However, I don't get all stressed out about dangling participles or copyrights or stop lights, should I miss'em.
I don't want to type no more
And if someone says "I don't know what I want", I think they usually mean "I want a lot of things but cannot have them all, and I cannot decide which one I want the most".