Is there a real difference between wanting and liking? Only within the last decade, scientists managed to found out that there is. Here is one simple explanation. Everything that are outside of us is perceived by our senses, the sight, smell, sound, and taste of it. From there onwards, it goes on its way to the brain through a few circuits (we called it neuronal pathway), which once have reached the brain, will elicit our response, such as liking, wanting or hating. Neurologists have this device which can detect the active circuits (the circuits that are being used). For example, if you see a flower and you like it, the circuit from your senses into your brain will light up. Many people thought that liking and wanting are the same. It makes sense, does it? For e.g., you want a cheeseburger because you like it. You also want to play basketball because you like it. For many years, scientists have thought of it too, but a failed experiment revealed it is wrong.

An experiment had been done on rats and primates, in which the 'want circuit', the circuit which is activated when you want something, is cut off. Scientist believed that this will suppress their 'wants' towards food, so that the rats would not have an effect towards the presentation of food (in this experiment, a cheese). But what they discovered was surprising. The rats instead still move towards the food like a hungry animal, but once it came close to the cheese, the rat just stayed there and did not eat it! They tried moving the cheese, and still, the rat moves towards the cheese, but then just stayed there, not eating it. It totally puzzled the scientists. So they used the device to detect the brain circuits, and realized that although the 'wants circuit' is cut off, another circuit which ends at the same area of the brain lights up. Now this is the discovery of the 'like circuit'. The scientists concluded that there are different circuits in the brain for 'liking' and 'wanting'.

This finding explains much of our unexplainable behavior. Like why do smokers still smoke though they know it is bad. Why we would really like to wake up early in the morning, but turned off the alarm and went back to sleep anyway. Why everybody wants to be successful, but only some really do something about it. Why drug addicts repeatedly inject themselves with morphine, although it is painful. Why is it that we can like someone, but we do not necessarily want him or her. Why some severely battered wife still sticks with her abusing husband?

It is all about the distinction between 'liking' and 'wanting'?

Ask the smokers, they might say that they do not really like. So, taking this finding into daily lives, I would say that if you want something in your life, fire off both of your 'like' and 'want' circuits. If you want something, make sure you really like it, or it would not work. Do not become a doctor only because your family told you so. You must be willing to like it in order for you to want it. Or else, sure you will become a doctor, but most probably, an average one, unless on the way you find medicine very interesting and start liking it. 

Do the things that you like, and success will follow. On the other hand, if you like something, do not say that you would like it. Say that you WANT it.  Do not say "I would like to be a world-known architect', say "I WANT to be a world-known architect". 

If you really like something, and very deeply want it. Do something about it. Fire off both of your 'want' and 'like' circuits! That, my friend, separates the daydreamers and the achievers.

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