After reading up on Maslow’s pyramid, I couldn’t help but feel that some needs may be true whilst others should be expressed differently. In all cases, I do believe he had some very good ideas.

So here’s my take on human needs.

1.  The need for one’s survival (which includes breathing, eating, drinking and other physical “events”) – NOT ALWAYS combined with the need for survival of the species, therefore sex  (in regards to becoming a mother/father) may not be included (some individuals may also not feel the actual need to breed and, they may be thinking about one‘s survival in the first place and not the survival of the species)

In regards to sex: It doesn’t kill you to not have it (but it may kill the species, although, in all fairness, the society found ways to impregnate women without the actual presence of sex), so sex may be a number three need sometimes. It  can also be considered to be a number three need because it seems that, in our society, achieving pleasure is often set in front of breeding (however rape, par example, is not great pleasure, although for some it may as well be pleasurable pain, but that‘s a whole different story).

We’ve obviously been given the means to breed and such, and it may as well be considered against nature’s laws to have sex just for the fun of it, however not becoming a mother (or a father for that matter) does not kill you as an individual, as previously mentioned (not in a physical way, anyway) so perpetuation of the species is  probably  not part of the number one needs on an individual basis of survival.

HOWEVER, if we do talk about the perpetuation of the species, although not killing one if it does not happen, a human being may as well feel at some point a powerful need to breed. So that may be added to the survival needs on basis of species survival (and not on basis of individual pain or death as an end to existence as we know it, as all the other physiological needs are based).

2.  The need to avoid all pains (except for some pleasurable ones) at all/most costs.

In fact, number one needs may as well be part of number two (as you‘ll find in the end).  Separation is to be done mostly because the basic needs enounced at number one will (most likely) provoke death (not to speak of inflicting other pains) if unfulfilled (“most likely“ because it’s said there are cases of some sort of special states of mind in which you can go a long time without food, water and so on. I believe they could be in some connection to the bears hibernating process, or to the sleep process in which most needs are “asleep”, if you will).

With number two needs, on the other hand,  we talk about a much larger range of pains that do not necessarily inflict death .

So basically the need for survival may be translated as the need to avoid the biggest pain or step into the unknown which is death (well, for as long as possible, as I have yet to meet a vampire). Of course, leaving out the breeding part which, as said, is not a pain/death etc inflicting need on individual basis.

3. The need to gain as much pleasure as possible (or perhaps to a certain level of comfort that we dream of).

I did not want to separate the lack of pain and gain of pleasure needs because I feel they’re too entwined. Sometimes people can accept an amount of pain to gain some pleasure whereas other times they can try and get some pleasure although they know it will get them in a serious amount of pain.

Ultimately, I have decided to give pleasure its special place, because avoiding pain seems somewhat more important than gaining pleasure by whole. However, as they are indeed entwined in so many ways, number two may not always be on top of number 3.

In the end though, the more pain some pleasure can provoke, the more is that pleasure to be avoided, aka if you want a lot of cash (aka means for pleasure and need for survival) it doesn’t mean you’re going to rob a bank, because that would inflict a lot of pain (if caught, by going to jail, if not caught, by constantly thinking that you‘re going to get caught).

Fulfillment of as many needs as possible (including all other sets of needs and pleasure itself) can also induce (more) pleasure (as satisfaction or appetite and so on). Lack of all sorts of pleasure can obviously induce a lot of pain so it’s obvious how entwined they are and why I didn’t want to separate number two and three.

4. The need for safety/security (especially because, as Helen Keller says, “security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it” – basically that’s why there’s such a huge need for it, because it does not exist, mainly because there is no cure for death, which is considered, if not the biggest pain, a huge step into the unknown and end of life as we know it).

It is rather troubling to establish what this consists of, and even more troubling to label it as number five, because I feel that it totally includes all other sets of needs!! However I have reached the conclusion (hopefully not wrong) that this one exists to protect the fulfillment of all the sets of needs, obviously with high priority (usually) starting with one and ending with three.

So, basically, the need for security means staying safe from all pain  (including death, although that is not exactly possible, but people keep on trying) and preserving (or having) as much pleasure as possible/you wish (as you wish because, as we know, we cannot wish to experience what we cannot even imagine as well as we cannot wish to be protected from something that we cannot even imagine – so there are obviously different levels on what one desires/fears). Also, not all people want to be protected from the same things or obtain the same amount or type of pleasure, etc.

This need,  at its worst level, means first of all avoiding pain at most, if not all, costs (and even keeping pleasure within particular limits – if pleasure is/or is seen as almost inexistent, other problems arise). At its maximum level (and if basic needs are fulfilled almost by default and bigger needs arise), it transforms into all sets of needs to their biggest level, which means gaining as much pleasure as possible and a total (or close to) lack of pain (“as much as possible” and “close to” because, as said, things are never perfect, especially due to, as Maslow says, new needs arising when primary needs are fulfilled).

It is also to be noted here that pleasure and pain are constant (with pain having a sort of plus).

5. The need to try and understand death aka biggest pain or end of our existence as we know it

This wasn’t supposed to be looked at as need, because it’s obviously correlated with number one needs (and naturally we need some sort of knowledge to fulfill all needs), however it is pretty much the only thing that we definitely have mostly no idea about and especially because it is in such strong connection to our number one need, I do believe it deserves its own spot.

From my point of view, I think this pretty much sums up what I’ve read from Maslow, because the other needs he describes may as well be part or derived from numbers one, two, three or four.

There is also one VERY SPECIAL need that I had no idea where to put:

The need to save (also protect and please) the one you deeply care about (or, when it comes to saving,  even your fellow humans, or dogs and other stuff – to add a lighter note).

This need may not exist at all times and may also not exist in all individuals. It is specific to mothers, however I simply could not avoid giving it credit as a primary need of some sort. It is surely not this high on a regular basis, but one cannot deny that if a feeling (or chemical reaction for that matter) is strong enough, this need may easily surpass even the survival need and it wouldn’t take much to do so. I’m not sure in regards to basis to this need, but I’m sure the need itself exists. And as it may easily surpass all other needs when it appears, I thought it would only be fair to give it a special mention. So take it as a latent need. Or a need in brackets. But definitely a huge need when it appears, and surely one that can inflict a lot of pain if not fulfilled.  And I don’t want to disgrace it by putting it in the same place with addictions  and huge chemical releases that cloud your primary instincts. I simply couldn’t. It is basically a need to abandon your primary needs in order to fulfill someone else’s primary needs (or simply other regular needs sometimes). And it is surely undeniable.

Also as hypothetical basis for this need, I may offer the following: In regards to mothers (and fathers too sometimes), there seems to be a special bond between them and the breed, as they’re practically part of themselves. In regards to the ones you deeply care about (period), you may have identified with them for reasons, they may have provided lots of pleasure to you, or they may have served as your protectors so it is only natural that you feel the need to return such favours. In regards to your fellow men, it may also be a case of identifying, either with you being in their spot, or with a higher purpose (as in protecting a common objective).

We may also conclude that the other four needs (as this one practically takes them all, but for another person) may be summed up into one, that is:

Avoid pain at all costs (from biggest aka death, which is mostly seen as pain because our existence as we know it ceases to exist, except for particular cases in which it is seen as an end to this existence’s pain, to lowest) and gain as much pleasure as you can (of course whilst avoiding pain as much as you can, although, as said, they sort of come together). And as long as you keep those needs as fulfilled as possible (as weird as that sounds) and (preferably) fulfilled in that order… Then that’s your being’s needs right there.

Other notes:

There may also be other needs that sometimes step in front of ardent needs (1-5 if you will), like the need to simply do what’s right instead of doing what suits you best. This, as other needs, may sometimes link to the pleasure of having others think the best of you and other times may be a need based on long inflicted societal education. Even if you inflict pain on yourself you may choose to do what’s right. Other times it may be based on putting yourself in the other’s shoes, as previously mentioned, especially with us all being part of a particular species, therefore linked in some way. It is unclear to me if this need, par example, should be an established ardent need, coming out of one’s instincts, or it should be based on other things…  I am uncertain if there is an internal need for such things and obviously couldn’t at this time question one if so.

Also keep in mind that our body is chemical and that’s the way how it expresses itself. So if some levels are high or low… Then it may as well be “so long, Bubba”  or “welcome to paradise” for you.

After this conclusion, it is obvious, well, to me, that reasons for people to commit suicide include:  “avoiding pain at all costs” goes that far sometimes (as in better to avoid the pain I know than the one that may or may not exist), lacking in pleasure – also extremely important and may sometimes surpass the need for survival, and, last but not least, severe chemical imbalances in their bodies that make them go cuckoo (sorry for the popular term).

Detachment is also to be regarded. Detachment as in living your life as a spectator, giving up on pleasure as well as pain (because you may never give up on just one of them, mostly because pleasure eventually inflicts pain and so on). It is a way of living after all and I believe it can be achieved, although one asks one’s self if you’d detach then what’s the use of  it all. You’d pretty much lose the pain, but you’d also lose “la joie de vivre”. However, it is considered by some a way to reach a more peaceful path, and I cannot help but agree to that. If I weren’t so drugged up on pleasure, I’d consider it for sure.

Detachment’s more friendly sibling is MIND DISTRACTION.  Which is obviously based on ignoring/getting rid of as much pain as possible, yet saving as much pleasure as possible.

Also it is to be noted that sometimes the satisfaction of particular addictions  (changing important chemical levels of the body, or affecting particular sensors, to the highs and lows – types of addictions) may become almost (if not surely) more important than survival itself. Lack of a particular drug or action may cloud one’s mind  or have physical repercussions  to the extent that a huge amount of pain is encountered.

P.S. Now if only Justin would have a duet with this chick too. I like.

Why can’t people just say “look, I can’t help you”, “it is not my field of expertise”, “I’d like to help you, and I’m going to try, but don’t rely on me”, or simply not answer their cells???  Why do they have to go on and make promises and insist they’ll be there for you and mostly say words they never mean?

This is just plain wrong and makes me think of the time when Kramer (via Seinfeld) made the cable guy wait for days, because the cable guys always said they’d be at your place between 9 and 13 and between 14 and 18… Now that sounds real good.

I never say I’ll do something I’m not planning to do. At best, I’ll say maybe or I don’t know. And if I do forget about stuff, or don’t have the time to do something I promised to do, I at least call and apologize, not to speak of the fact that I always want to make it up to the one I have faulted. Because other people’s time matters to me, even if they don’t owe me anything and such and if I don’t owe them anything… Why the frick are people so  lame for? LAMOS

One more black ball for the human kind… Pffffff

So… Ladies… Ahahahah