[lojban] Re: le gusta co minde mutce

["Elias Friedman" <skierb27@gmail.com>]

The action "to buy butter" cannot be a motive.  A motive is something that causes a person to do a certain thing.  The action "to buy butter", by itself, cannot motivate; "to buy butter" is the "certain thing" for the person to do.  The order of these phrases has no meaningful significance, and would not, even if one phrase motivated the other.

"I will buy butter" is not an intention; it is a future action.  

If someone were to remember his or her intent to buy butter, that would not be motivation to buy butter; it would simply be a recollection of his or her intent.  The motive would remain as "I have run out of butter, and I need butter".  "I intend to buy butter" cannot be a motive because such an intent is not a reason for the person to buy butter.

An intention is not a personal condition; it is a course of action that a person intends to follow.

"I am willing to buy butter" and "I intend to buy butter" have a meaningful difference.  "I am willing to buy butter" expresses willingness; "I intend to buy butter" expresses intent.  "I am willing to buy butter" does not express an intentional state of "I", it expresses the willingness of "I".  Neither phrase can motivate.