On inner critics, knowing what you want, boundaries and desires from Maeбичка, via TheZvi

If “I do not want to do A” is not respected on its own (by others or your own inner critic), of course you are going to come up with whatever reasons you can think of to justify it to other people or to yourself!

By alienated from desires I mean:

People especially do not respect the boundaries/desires of children—who then become uncertain of their own boundaries/desires, and then grow up having to justify them not only to others but also to themselves.

This is how someone would come to habitually give reasons they do not realize are divorced from their own truth.

You can be your own justification, but this involves knowing yourself. But also realise that your desires are malleable and often context dependent.