I agree with you that there are at least 2 classes of "wants," but I would say the distinction is way more subtle than you think. For one thing, when it comes t

I agree with you that there are at least 2 classes of "wants," but I would say the distinction is way more subtle than you think. For one thing, when it comes to my own motivations it's usually completely unreasonable to take myself at face value, so why would I take others at face value? Of course you should take care not to treat people like children, but that doesn't mean they understand themselves. The best explanation I've seen of this, at least psychologically, is from The Mind Illuminated by John Yates. He says we are in control of our intentions, and nothing else. (Although I would say that language is also misleading, because people are sometimes not very good at distinguishing false intentions that are generated unconsciously.) The right intention, perhaps repeated persistently enough, is what leads not only to action but also to internal expressions of "willpower" or effort. Right intentions are not "good intentions," where you mean for good things to happen. A right intention is directing your focus to the thing that helps you most in whatever you're trying to do. It's certainly possible to never notice any of this, especially if you don't take up activities that make the process more obvious. If you lift weights, for example, it's easy to notice all the effort that a set takes and think "I did that." In reality most of your control over the set was exerted before you even started. I think this explains the utility of many spiritual practices like meditation and prayer.