**How Do People Get What They Want?

And Do We Even Know What We Truly Want?**

By Ankit Verma
Assistant Professor

🌱 Introduction: The Most Important Question Nobody Asks

Every human being is pursuing something.

· Some want financial freedom.

· Some want love and family.

· Others seek knowledge, purpose, health, or creative expression.

Yet a deeper question remains:

👉 How do people actually get what they want?
👉 And before that — how do they even know what they want?

Modern psychology, neuroscience, and classic success philosophy surprisingly converge on one insight:

Human beings are driven by a universal desire for growth and abundance.

More than a century ago, Wallace D. Wattles, in The Science of Getting Rich, argued that wealth creation is not luck, privilege, or competition — but a disciplined way of thinking and acting.

Today, data from behavioral science strongly supports many of these ideas.

🧠 The Human Desire for Growth: A Scientific Perspective

Despite cultural differences, research consistently shows humans share similar motivational drivers.

According to Abraham Maslow, human needs follow a hierarchy:

1. Survival

2. Safety

3. Belonging

4. Esteem

5. Self-Actualization

Modern studies confirm:

· People seek progress, not just comfort.

· Happiness correlates strongly with growth, not consumption.

· Meaningful achievement predicts life satisfaction more than income alone.

This aligns with Wattles’ core argument:

We desire wealth not for money itself — but to fully develop mind, body, and soul.

💰 Why Material Wealth Matters (Beyond Money)

Many philosophies criticize wealth pursuit. However, Wattles proposed a controversial but powerful idea:

Material resources enable human flourishing.

Consider three dimensions:

1. Body

Health requires:

· nutritious food

· safe housing

· healthcare access

World Bank data shows improved income strongly correlates with increased life expectancy.

2. Mind

Intellectual growth requires:

· education

· books

· technology

· learning environments

Knowledge expansion depends on access to resources.

3. Soul

Relationships and contribution often involve giving:

· time

· experiences

· gifts

· opportunities to others

Research in positive psychology shows generosity increases long-term happiness levels.

👉 Wealth, therefore, becomes a tool for expression, not merely possession.

🌍 Scarcity vs Abundance: The Psychology That Shapes Outcomes

Most people operate from what psychologists call a scarcity mindset.

They believe:

· opportunities are limited,

· success belongs to a few,

· others’ success reduces their own chances.

However, modern economic evidence contradicts this belief.

Global GDP has expanded over 15× since 1900, proving wealth creation is not a fixed pie.

Wattles described reality as an endlessly creative system — an idea now echoed in innovation economics:

· New industries constantly emerge.

· Technology creates new markets.

· Value is continuously generated.

👉 Wealth today is increasingly created through ideas, not resources.

🧠 Thought as Creation: What Neuroscience Now Confirms

One of Wattles’ boldest claims:

Thought precedes reality.

While philosophical at the time, neuroscience now provides support.

Research on visualization shows:

· Mental rehearsal activates neural pathways similar to physical action.

· Elite athletes use visualization to improve performance.

· Goal visualization increases probability of achievement.

When individuals clearly imagine a future identity, the brain begins aligning behavior toward that outcome.

This explains why successful individuals often share three cognitive traits:

✔ Clarity of vision
✔ Strong belief
✔ Persistent focus

🙏 The Law of Gratitude: A Data-Backed Success Strategy

Wattles emphasized gratitude as essential to success.

Modern science agrees.

Studies in positive psychology show gratitude practices:

· increase optimism by 25%+

· improve sleep quality

· enhance productivity

· strengthen relationships

Gratitude shifts attention from lack to possibility, improving motivation and resilience.

In business environments, leaders practicing appreciation demonstrate higher team engagement and retention.

👉 Gratitude is not spiritual sentiment alone — it is a performance enhancer.

🎯 Why Competition Alone Cannot Create Fulfillment

Traditional economic thinking glorifies competition.

But research from organizational psychology reveals:

· collaboration produces higher innovation rates,

· cooperative environments increase long-term success,

· intrinsic motivation outperforms fear-based competition.

Wattles argued:

You are a creator, not merely a competitor.

In modern terms:

· Entrepreneurs create markets.

· Innovators expand opportunity.

· Leaders elevate others while succeeding themselves.

The greatest wealth creators do not fight over existing value — they generate new value.

🔥 Knowing What You Want: The Clarity Problem

Here lies the real challenge:

Most people do not fail because they cannot succeed.

They fail because they never define what they truly want.

Research shows:

· Over 70% of individuals lack clearly written life goals.

· Goal clarity dramatically increases achievement probability.

A practical framework:

Ask Yourself:

· What kind of life do I want daily?

· What work energizes me?

· What impact do I want to create?

· Who do I want to become?

Desire becomes powerful only when specific.

⚡ Thought Without Action Is Fantasy

Wattles strongly rejected passive dreaming.

Modern productivity science confirms:

Success requires aligned action.

Three principles:

1. Act in the Present

You cannot act in the past or future.

Progress begins with immediate steps.

2. Improve Your Environment

Do not wait for ideal conditions — build them.

3. Concentrated Effort

Peak performers align:

· mental energy

· physical effort

· emotional commitment

Consistent small actions compound into massive outcomes.

🌟 Talent, Purpose, and the Principle of Increase

People thrive when talent meets passion.

Studies on flow states show individuals experience highest fulfillment when:

· challenge level matches skill level,

· work feels meaningful,

· progress is visible.

When individuals grow, they inspire growth in others.

This creates what Wattles called increase — a positive cycle where personal advancement benefits society.

Teachers educate.
Doctors heal.
Entrepreneurs create employment.
Artists inspire culture.

Success expands collectively.

📊 Modern Interpretation: The Science Behind Getting Rich

If we translate Wattles into contemporary language, his framework becomes:

Principle	Modern Equivalent
Clear Thought	Goal Setting & Cognitive Psychology
Faith	Self-Efficacy Theory
Gratitude	Positive Psychology
Creation over Competition	Innovation Economics
Action Now	Behavioral Execution
Increase	Growth Mindset

💡 Final Insight: How People Truly Get What They Want

People achieve their desires when three forces align:

1. Clarity of Desire — knowing what they want

2. Constructive Thinking — believing abundance is possible

3. Consistent Action — working daily toward growth

The deepest truth may be this:

People do not receive what they wish for.
They receive what they consistently think, believe, and act upon.