Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ttidcc.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Re: wants vs needs, luxury vs necessity Message-ID: <657@ttidcc.UUCP> Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 14:00:36 EDT Article-I.D.: ttidcc.657 Posted: Fri Aug 9 14:00:36 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 02:28:59 EDT References: <735@lll-crg.ARPA> <1742@reed.UUCP> <765@lll-crg.ARPA> <642@ttidcc.UUCP> <774@lll-crg.ARPA> Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) Distribution: net Organization: The Cat Factory Lines: 45 Summary: In article <774@lll-crg.ARPA> bandy@lll-crg.UUCP (Andrew Scott Beals) writes: >You know what? Sometimes I just plain forget that if it's written down in >a book or if somebody does research about it then it's right! ... If you choose to ignore the scientific literature on the subject then we're reduced to shouting opinions at each other. I'm the first to concede you're entitled to any opinion you want to hold so long as you label it as such. >Do you think it's the Right Thing for people to be unhappy when they don't >get this "needed" love and acceptance? Or to be unhappy when they can't >(or don't) get the physical affection they want? Do you think it's the Right Thing for people to be unhappy if they have to live on half a cup of grain a day? They're alive, aren't they? They don't _need_ any more to survive. Of course, all those diseases of malnutrition are something of a nuisance ... In the same sense both humans and monkeys can survive without affection and love. What Harlow et al. showed was that insufficient affection has as devastating an effect on the mind as malnutrition has on the body. >By calling this a Need, you have the situation where people think they >can demand that they get their "quota", thereby placing unnecessary >pressures on others. Also, because they Know it is a Need, they feel >justified at getting upset/angry with others (or themselves) because >they don't do "their part" at helping to fill this Need. The fallacy here is the implicit idea that one is somehow responsible for fulfilling others' needs and should feel guilty if one fails to do so. I learned to (diplomatically) say "No" years ago. People can make demands for anything they think they want or need and frequently do. They also get angry when these demands aren't met and find ways to pressure others. Academically defining something as a want or need isn't going to change this. (Try explaining to a hijacker that he doesn't really _need_ to get his friends out of jail). -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp TTI Common Sense is what tells you that a ten 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. pound weight falls ten times as fast as a Santa Monica, CA 90405 one pound weight. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe