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From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: wants vs needs, luxury vs necessity
Message-ID: <642@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 6-Aug-85 21:10:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.642
Posted: Tue Aug  6 21:10:25 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 8-Aug-85 00:15:25 EDT
References: <735@lll-crg.ARPA> <1742@reed.UUCP> <765@lll-crg.ARPA>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Distribution: net
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 43
Summary: 

In article <765@lll-crg.ARPA> bandy@lll-crg.UUCP (Andrew Scott Beals) writes:
>> From: purtell@reed.UUCP (Lady Godiva)
>> [...] I think that hugs are very necessary and important. People need
>> that kind of physical contact.
>
>This sort of physical contact is NOT important and is definitely NOT
>necessary. [``Kin yew say "hermit"? Iah knew ya could!''] It is purely
>a luxury, like eating chocolate or or not having to work on the weekend
>or having a *friend.

Harry Harlow's work with  monkeys  is  considered  to  be  the  fundamental
research  in  this area.  There is also a body of human subject research to
support the need for physical contact and affection.  For  a  more  popular
treatment  see  the works of Eric Berne, among others, or take my word that
most psychologists would disagree with the above statement (just as  "most"
astronomers will agree the Earth isn't flat).

>         ... Some people who have warped their minds such that they will
>be Unhappy if they do not have this "love and acceptance" will invent
>an imaginary being that "loves" and "accepts" them. Sometimes these
>people will gather in groups and all fantasize about One Being.

Some people have warped their minds to convince themselves they don't  need
the  love and acceptance they think they can't get.  Some hermits fall into
this category as do many psychiatric patients.  Again, see Harlow, et. al.

>> [...] I've never found a group of people under any circumstances, who
>> didn't need that kind of thing.
>
>Are you sure that you don't mean "appreciate"? "Need" is a very strong word.

"Definitely" is also a very strong sounding word (as in "... definitely NOT
necessary.").  It  loses  its strength when, on examination, no evidence is
found to back it up.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
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