ようとしない cannot be used to describe the speaker’s current lack of intention


In regards to ようとしない, I found this explanation: "This structure cannot be used
to describe the speaker's current lack of intention." Am I correct in thinking
the sentence 私は最近本を読もうとしない doesn’t work, while the following sentences work,
because 猫 and ルームメイト are not the speaker of the sentence？

> うちの猫が大好きな魚を食べようとしない。

> ルームメイトがゴミをゴミ捨て場に持って行こうとしない。




Basically you are correct. 私は最近本を読もうとしない is odd, and the other two are fine.

Note that the past tense is fine for 1st person: 私は自分で解決しようとしなかった = I didn't
try to resolve it by myself.

* * *

But using 私は..ようとしない is not entirely impossible. For example,

  * 彼が目の前で苦しんでいる。私は助けようとしない.

is possible as a sentence describing, say, what happened in a dream where 'I'
do(es) not help 'him', from the external viewpoint. As such, it is not an
exception to the rule.

