Selfishness, maturity

[azurelunatic]

Anne's elevation of her wants over Beth's wants is fairly normal for humans.
Anne's elevation of her wants over Beth's needs is selfishness.
Anne's elevation of her needs over Beth's wants is self-awareness.
Anne's elevation of Beth's needs over Anne's wants is maturity.
Anne's elevation of her own needs over Beth's needs is self-interest.
Anne's elevation of Beth's needs over Anne's needs is selflessness.
Anne's inability to distinguish between her wants and her needs is immaturity.
Anne's inability to distinguish between Beth's wants and needs is hazardous.
Anne's belief that Beth's needs are in fact Beth's wants is dangerous.
Anne's belief that her wants are her needs, her needs override Beth's needs, and Beth's needs are in fact Beth's wants is psychopathic.


Basic human needs include:

Breathable air
Drinkable water
Nutritious food
Shelter
Sleep

Comments

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

Those are only the most basic of biological human needs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs has physiological needs at the bottom of the pyramid. Once the basic physiological needs are met, the human mind then moves on to fulfilling one's safety needs (security; stability; freedom from fear, anxiety, and chaos; need for structure, order, law, and limits). After that are belonging and love needs (social self help, finding love, how to escape bad feelings and alienation, how to achieve a sense of belonging), ego or esteem needs (need for achievement, education, competence, and respect), and at the top of the pyramid is the need for self-actualization - the need to realize our fullest potential.

And all of these are true needs, not wants. Wants are those things that do not actually further us toward fulfilling our needs. I may want a better computer, but it doesn't actually fulfill any of my needs. Some people think they *need* the most expensive car thinking it will help them with the belonging and love needs, as well as the ego and esteem needs, but it's hollow, and doesn't really. In this way, it's a want that they mistake as a need, because it sates their hunger for a very brief duration. Chris, on the other hand, actually *needs* more guitars, because it is part of his self-actualization, and his need for achievement and competence - and he needs different guitars because they make different sounds. E and I may be the only ones around him who recognize this as a need rather than a want. (Even he thinks it's a want.)