Is it wrong that I'm good at making people want things?
You are good at this work. That is not in question. You take something and make people want it, and you are skilled enough that it usually works. The unease you feel is not weakness. It is attention. Most people in your position stop noticing what their work does once it leaves their hands. You have not stopped. That is worth something, but noticing is not the same as acting. You cannot control the industry, the incentives, or what your employer asks of you tomorrow. You can control what you make, who it is aimed at, and whether you tell yourself the truth about its effect. Start there.
Your skill is not the problem. The question is what you aim it at. Ask what happens to the person once they want the thing. If it serves them, your craft serves them too. If it only serves you, you already know — stop excusing it and choose differently.
What changes unlock by starting
- A one-minute test you can run on any project before you start it
- A clear, specific list of what actually troubles you, instead of a general bad feeling
- One written line you won't cross, and a plan for when someone asks you to
- Less guilt that drifts around everything, more judgment aimed at the right things