[mewminator]

People can make decisions based not on what they actually want to do, but on what they think that other people want to do, with the result that everybody decides to do something that nobody really wants to do, but only what they thought that everybody else wanted to do.

[Guest]

Not really.

I breathe because I think that other people want to breathe.

I don't poison food because I don't think other people want to poison food.

[Molly Mae]

Not really.

I breathe because I think that other people want to breathe.

I don't poison food because I don't think other people want to poison food.

People can make decisions based not on what they actually want to do, but on what they think that other people want to do, with the result that everybody decides to do something that nobody really wants to do, but only what they thought that everybody else wanted to do.

I agree with Mew only because of the word 'can', but I don't really think this is a paradox. While Chad is right, you naturally are subjected to doing what you want, there are cases where a group will do something nobody wants to do simply because they think that they are the only one in the group that doesn't want to do it. It's not common, but is possible.

[Guest]

Well, if we use the word can, then it isn't a paradox.

People often do things other than what they want because they think it is what others want.

Try being the guy in the relationship and you'll see how true it is (heck, who am I kidding, girls do it too).