FEAR & FEARLESSNESS-I = TYPES, CAUSES, REACTIONS, RESPONSES

FEAR

&

FEARLESSNESS-I

THE BASICS:

Fear is the most basic emotion, common to all living beings, from a single cell amoeba to the man.

You and I were afraid for the first time in life - when we were pushed out from the secure and tranquil environment of our mother’s womb.

We cried straining all of our frail vocal cords – a most natural way of ventilating our fear, and, we were also struggling to fulfill our first need on the earth - to breath, to inhale. It was the first emotion we experienced on our birth. It is for this reason that most people have so much fear of death too. Fear of Birth and death are both primal fears.

We didn’t come to life with any baggage – other than life itself. Life is considered the greatest gift to us. For us, the visible, physical body and the invisible intellect and emotional quotient represent life. Anything adverse happening or likely to happen to them evokes fear in us.

We do acquire other things subsequently – wealth, property, relationships, friendships, career, honour, position, security and so on – during our sojourn in life. When the loss or damage of any of these things is likely to happen, we feel fear.

COMMON FEARS

We can see two types of fears in the world : (i) collective fears and (ii) Individual fears

COLLECTIVE FEARS : Many groups of people are afraid of other groups of people, for various reasons – based on differences in caste, creed, race, religion, sex, nation, culture, habits, ideologies  and so on. These are collective fears.  Globalization has not fully removed these fears, but has, in some cases, aggravated them. All wars, all tensions, all mutual suspicions are based on one or the other of the above. Don’t we see this all the time in all parts of the world? We are divided so badly and still dividing so badly on all these parameters – all of which look attractive to us – when we are in the company of “our people” – which connotes, our language, our caste, our religion, our state, our nation, and so on. The concept of a Global citizen has not really taken off – to unite people of all hues and colours.

INDIVIDUAL FEARS : There are many types of individual fears - like (i) Fear of silence (ii) fear of noise (iii) Fear of darkness (iv) Fear of light (v) Fear of open spaces (vi)Fear of closed spaces (vii) Fear of losing their safety (of home, country, family etc) (viii) fear of adventure ( ix) Fear of being mediocre (x) Fear of excellence! (xi) Fear of living (xii) Fear of dying (xiii)Fear of living in shame (xiv) Fear of living in Debt (xv) Fear of losing love / a loved one (xvi) fear of disease (fear of different diseases evoke different levels of fear in us) / fear of ageing (xvii) Fear of public speaking / singing / dancing / any public performance (xviii) fear of leading / following (xxi) Fear of heights / fear of falling (xxii) fear of depths (xxiii) Fear of flying (xxvi) fear of insects / cockroaches / wild animals /dogs /snakes (xxvii) Fear of injury / of pain / of blood / of injections / of surgery  (xxviii) fear of God / of demons / of hell / of priests / of mythical rites / of unknown places/ of buildings / of structures / of haunted places / of cremation grounds (xxxi) fear of water / fear of swimming (xxx) Fear of rejection – by the society, by spouse, by children, by parents, by employer, by neighbours, by religion, by friends and so on (xxxi) fear of losing employment / promotion / pension / business /income / property (xxxii) fear of marital partner or marital relations (xxxiii) Fear of war and similar occurrences (xxxiv) fear of natural disasters like tsunami and so on.

I have listed some of the common fears across the world. You can add to the list your own fears. You will be afraid – not merely when a threat arises to you – but also when it arises to some one /thing you love or identify with mentally.

Individual fears can also spread from one person to another – and affect whole communities in due course – in the absence of strong, enlightened leadership.

Fears can also be classified as (i) Rational fears (ii) Irrational Fears.

RATIONAL FEARS : are based on real threat and urge us to take immediate action to remove the cause of fear. Like a cobra crossing our path and standing before us suddenly. We must protect ourselves. Rational fear makes us do all those possible actions to protect our self from real dangers. After the cause is removed from us, we quickly return no normalcy and get over our Fear.

IRRATIONAL FEARS : These are not based on reality but on morbid imagination. There is no cobra – but all through the Road, you are looking for one. You are lying in the cosy comfort of your own bed but you are feeling like falling off from a steep cliff and screaming and sweating. Many such irrational fears can take you over – if you do not cultivate FEARLESSNESS and COURAGE. All through our life, we suffer more from irrational fears than from rational fears.

CAUSES OF FEAR

EXTERNAL CAUSES :  For rational fears, the external causes are – some power or some propensity that the fear evoking person, animal or thing has – for effecting some harm to us and their known tendency to cause such harm.

A violent, mad person evokes fear in us. You never know what he will do next.

Some people have the habit of harming others – physically, verbally, emotionally or otherwise for almost no reason. They do evoke fear in people around them. An armed thief or dacoit is a cause of rational fear.

A lion evokes a rational fear in us – because of its wild, carnivorous nature. A cobra evokes a similar rational fear – because of its venomous nature. Fear of fire is a rational fear. But, in all these cases, when we understand how to handle the fear-evoking object, animal or person, our fear comes down drastically. You are not afraid of a cobra or Lion so long as it is in captivity inside a ZOO.

For irrational fears, the external causes are - our parents, teachers, preachers, relatives, friends, the books and periodicals we read, the audio-visual media we use and so on. They are all catalysts and instigators of various irrational fears in us – by what they told us or will be telling us and by many of their actions.

They can of course, create both rational and irrational fears in us. Fear of ghosts, daemons, cockroaches, darkness, open spaces, closed spaces etc are all irrational fears which children inculcate from these (unfortunately) trusted sources. Irrational Fear has been most contagious and spreads through all these media. You tend to believe what they tell – especially of what frightens them and what frightens you, because you believe them or love them. To a certain extent, many people do have a morbid interest in what frightens them irrationally.

INTERNAL CAUSES :

For Rational Fears : While knowledge is the internal cause of rational fear, Ignorance is the internal cause of irrational fear. You, can input  a certain amount of rational fear into yourself – when you perceive  adverse, harmful sensory stimuli, through the eyes, ears, tongue, nose, skin and the mind itself – by proximity with a person, animal or object. You do sense a real danger or harm to you from some sources. Then, you do become ready for guarding yourself from the sources of danger or harm.

For instance, when there is a foul smell, which your nose perceives, you move away. Your nose is made for perceiving an approaching danger and guide you to avoid it. Your tongue warns you not to swallow a thing which it cannot handle. Your eyes, your skin, your ears are all made to guide you to avoid harmful persons, animals or objects. But sensory stimuli only carry impressions into and out of you. If you look at the process carefully – a lion may be standing close to you. It evokes fear in you as an external cause – only if your eyes and mind are functioning at the moment well. So, within us – fear is always aroused by our own sensory stimuli – based on past experience or knowledge.

For Irrational Fears : In the jargon of psycho analysis, if you feel, I AM NOT OK, I am inadequate, I must be afraid – if this is the script (internal program) running in your mind and in your veins – You will be afraid of some thing or other all through your life. As we have seen earlier – our very own trusted sources like parents, teachers and preachers, the books we read and the audio-visual media we use are the creators and perpetrators of irrational fears in us. What is implanted in childhood into our sub-conscious does not leave us so easily – even if later knowledge tells us that there is no need for fear. This needs more intensive training.

LOVE & HATE - Swami Sivananda and many other saints say that Attachment to any thing (called RAAGA in Sanskrit) is a primary cause of fear.

Love based on attraction and Hate based on aversion can lead to irrational fears - of losing the person or thing we are attached to or coming in proximity of the person or thing we are averse to.

A single minute of delay in the child’s or spouse’s coming home can evoke irrational fears about their safety, in many of us. If it does not – you may even be called insensitive by some people. Suppose the delay is an hour – can we treat it as irrational fear? As you can see – the border line is thin in some cases.

Suppose you love your spouse – your own apprehensions of his/her likely absence, divorce or death can evoke great fear in you.

Suppose you don’t have any such attachment or love towards your spouse – then? No fear at all. You may feel relieved. Same is the case with any other thing.  I am not advocating that you must not love your spouse or Children etc. You will, any way. And, you will be afraid of any adverse event likely to happen to them. That’s different subject we will deal with in another post.

EFFECTS OF FEAR

There are many physiological, psychological and social effects of fear.The effects differ based on the severity of the fear.

Biologically some part of the brain like the amygdala and the hypothalamus are immediately activated and control the first physical response to fear. Chemicals like adrenaline and hormone cortisol are released into the blood stream causing certain physical reactions such as:

• Rapid heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Tightening of muscles
• Sharpened or redirected senses
• Dilation of the pupils (to let in more light)
• Increased sweating
• Heavy Breathing
• Shivering
• Urination
• Jumbling of thoughts.
• Inability to sleep
• Some acutely fearful thoughts can make the person sick instantly.
• Socially –we become incapable of normal interaction with other people
• We become incapable of concentrating on any important work – and this may affect our social standing adversely.
• Fear can immobilize our movements.

There are so many such aftereffects of fear. These are all automatic reactions of the body-mind complex – if unchecked. But, what can be our standardized responses – to fear.

STANDARD RESPONSES TO FEAR

Our standard responses to a fear stimulus include the following :

(i)                  fight ( fight the object evoking fear in us)

(ii)                flight (running away from the scene of fear)

(iii)               Freeze ( becoming totally immobile in fear, un able to decide on what to do, which itself is a response)

(iv)               Flock – (coming together of similarly threatened people and then deciding on the above three responses)– or

(v)                 Resorting to extreme steps such as ending one’s life – in extreme cases of hopelessness.

But great saints like Buddha, Christ, Socrates, Ramana Marshi, Mahathma Gandhi etc have shown how one can remain calm, unruffled, loving and smiling – in the face of any threat. This is another way.

We arouse the fear, raise its levels, reduce it and can remove it altogether. It is within our capability. Amygdala centre of Brain may give out alarm signals, which then are picked up by the various hormonal glands, which send out these alarm signals to various parts of the nervous system and body organs for appropriate reaction. But your conditioned response need not be FEAR but can be courage – which can be cultivated at any period of life.

We will now see how we can handle our rational fears more effectively and usefully – and remove our irrational fears,  permanently - in the NEXT POST.

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HOW MUCH DO YOU (NOT) KNOW YOURSELF = ANCIENT INDIAN SYSTEM OF HUMAN GOALS= DHARMA, ARTHA ,KAAMA, MOKSHA

ANCIENT INDIAN

CLASSIFICATION 

OF HUMAN GOALS

INTRODUCTION

What are Human Goals?

Are there common goals for all of us in the Human society? Are we not different from each other in our wants, needs and Goals?

These are questions examined by social scientists in every Society. In a previous post, we have examined Abraham Maslow’s classification of Human needs. He calls the five layers of human needs as Physiological needs, Safety needs, Love/belonging needs, Esteem needs and self Actualization needs. That classification is applicable, by and large for all human beings, with some exceptions of human beings and some exceptions of circumstances. Subsequent authors added a few more needs.

In another post, we have also seen how the five human quotients, namely, physical, Intellectual, emotional, Social and spiritual, drive us to seek satisfaction of each of their innate needs. We have also seen how little each of us knows about our own five quotients – which is very astonishing to us, on close examination.

We have also seen the difference between our wants and needs. Our wants are UNLIMITED and as each want is satisfied, another want takes its place. But, our needs are comparatively LIMITED. Between the unlimited wants and the limited needs come some where the HUMAN GOALS. They do encompass the human needs, but not all of human wants, which by their nature are unlimited. Unlike wants and needs, Goals create a wonderful focus for human life.

In ancient India, human Goals were classified into 4 categories, namely - (1) Artha (2) Kaama (3) Dharma and (4) Moksha. The four categories together are called the “FOURFOLD GOALS OF MAN.” In Sanskrit, these are called Chathur Vidha Purushaartha.

All the four goals are wholesomely integrated goals of every one’s life and each person is expected to strive to achieve all the four goals in a wholesome manner.

For each of the goals, there is an underlying science, called a “Saasthra” in Sanskrit.  The ancient sages had propounded their own ideas, the ideas of their venerable ancestors and their Gurus in these Saasthraas. A Saasthra does not consist of a single book by a single sage. There can be many texts  by many sages. But, today, very few of the ancient Saasthraas are available. There are too many, large, historic gaps and too few authentic records. Yet, the substantive content of the Saasthraas can be gleaned to some extent from available texts. These are explained below in respect of the four human goals:

This Introduction helps us to understand that each human goal is backed by a science on the nature of the goal, its importance to man,  how, when, where and how much of the goal is to be attained and the goal becomes irrelevant!

WEALTH (OR) ARTHA

This is the first Goal. Artha  can be loosely translated  as Wealth. Wealth accumulation has been a common goal in east and west in all ages. But, ARTHA is much more than Wealth. Various types of wealth are detailed in many ancient texts. While wealth is a goal, wealth is needed to satisfy various wants and needs. Some are needed to mitigate different types of pain, sorrow, suffering and fear and some are for satisfaction of other physiological, psychological, emotional and safety needs.

Physical strength, children and Spouse also comes under ARTHA. Wife is considered the embodiment of the Goddess of Wealth (named, Lakshmi) and it was ordained that where Women weep, there gods do not send rains.  Apart from Wealth, Wealth earning skills and Possessions are all considered as WEALTH.

But, acquisition of wealth is not considered as the goal in itself.

It is well understood that there is no way any wealth can give happiness. Except to a miser. The real joy of wealth accrues when it is spent in exquisitely designed ways that satisfy some of our very best emotional, social and spiritual needs.

Every spending therefore occurred in community. Even the family Unit was a single large, combined family. People derived maximum happiness from each wealth spending activity and the elaborate procedures surrounding them. If there was one country which derived maximum joy from wealth, it was ANCIENT INDIA.

Artha Sasthra (the Science of Wealth) was taught in the ancient residential schools called Gurukulams. Artha Sasthra written by Chanakya (the famous minister and Guru of the Magadh Empire) brings together some of the teachings on the subject available already. Parts of it can be found in what Bheesma taught to Yudhistir in Maha Bharat. Every Guru taught these sciences to all of their students. But, with the gradual disappearance of most Gurukulams, and the apathy of the ruling clans, many of these sciences (or, Sasthras) have disappeared from public knowledge.

KAAMA

(ENTERTAINMENT - LOVE – PLEASURE SEEKING)

 The second goal is Kaama. Kaama means - Desire, entertainment and any pleasure seeking activity like Love(including man-woman physical relationships).

India had well developed sciences for satisfaction of human desires. Dress, ornaments, buildings, festivities, dances, singing, love (including sex) and all that goes in the name of entertainment and pleasure existed in those days – in a much more enjoyable and scientific form than today.

64 different arts and skills were specifically mentioned, developed and practiced, but there were many others too. Some of these arts and skills were for wealth acquisition, but many were for entertainment, love, pleasure and happiness, not always requiring any support of wealth.

Extraordinary skills existed – for enjoying the pleasures of life.

Some say that the first goal of Artha was mainly for DUHKHA NIVRITTHI (Removal of sorrows, pains, ensuring basic needs etc), While Kaama was mainly for SUKHA PRAPTHI (for attaining pleasure and luxury  of all types, comfort etc). But, the two were never water tight compartments.

Kaama Sasthra, the science of fulfilling various desires and pleasures was highly developed. Bharatha Muni had written a treatise on the famous dance form Bharatha Natyam. The scientific principles governing physical relationships of man and woman were compiled by Sage Vaathsyayana as Kaama Sutras which, because of their nature and wider usage, is very popular across the world. Charaka and other great doctors had found herbal medicines which had extraordinary properties to satisfy human desires of various kinds. Some People knew the art of travelling to distant places without any mechanical assistance. This was the art of Kaama Gamana. Disbelief about some of them will stalk our mind today, since, we have lost most of them. But, even Patanjali mentions a few such powers, in his Yoga Sutras, which he says are easily attainable through the processes of Samyama. Today, almost no one tries to go beyond Meditation into dharana, samyama etc.  These are not called extraordinary powers – but are quite ordinary for the one who goes through the training meticulously.

DHARMA

It is difficult to find an English equivalent for the Sanskrit word “Dharma” , which is the third human goal.  There are 2 meanings for the word.

In the first meaning, DHARMA tells us what are the appropriate actions one can indulge in on each occasion of one’s life. Not merely wealth getting or wealth spending or entertainment activities but many other activities. Dharma lays heavy stress on Just means for achieving the goals of human life. In this meaning – most of the time, Dharma is placed before Artha and Kaama – to signify the importance of means – to achieve the goals of Artha and Kaama. Artha and Kaama are the ENDS, but Dharma is the means ( in this meaning). No just occupation is considered inferior by Dharma. 

In the second connotation, DHARMA defines good and unselfish deeds which must be performed by all individuals on a daily basis and the result of such deeds. On the negative side, it also lays down the list of bad deeds and their result.

This meaning of Dharma closely follows the principle of Cause and Effect inherent in the theory of Karma. It in fact says that there are always two results for every good and bad deed.

One is the Visible, Direct and Immediate Result – on the doer of the deed and on the beneficiary/receiver of the deed.

The Second is the Invisible, Futuristic and Indirect  result that arises from the GOODNESS / BADNESS  implicit in the deed.  The motive behind the deed also counts heavily in deciding the indirect, future result that should accrue to each party. For example, when thief steals money, the direct result is, he gets the money or the goods which he steals. But, a definite, futuristic, invisible result now follows him and makes him pay for his unfair deed at some time, in ways decided by the Dharma. There is no escape from this result awarded by the Dharma.  

The invisible fruits of the GOODNESS / BADNESS are finally reaped by us in a VISIBLE FORM – either in this life in future , or in some cases, in a future life. It is of course difficult for us to connect the original GOOD/BAD deed with the invisible result which accompanies us and which fructifies on some future date in a VISIBLE FORM.

This implies that, in the current life, we are mostly, reaping the effects of  THE GOODNESS/BADNESS  of our deeds of the past  in this birth or those of a past birth.  The invisible effect of Good deeds is called PUNYAM and the invisible effect of the BAD DEEDS  is called PAPAM (Or Sin).

Our stock of PUNYAM and PAPAM which remains unspent in current birth will definitely accompany us to our next birth. All other things which we  accumulate in life through good and bad deeds  can never accompany any of us after death. We all know that. It is also said that our Punyam and Papam will determine the course of our future  in current birth and in our future births.

We may or may not believe in Next Birth or karma theory etc – But logic tells us that  – for every action, there must be an equivalent and opposite reaction. If that be the nature’s law – how can there be NO BAD EFFECT on you for your  BAD DEEDS? How can nature allow you to get away with the enjoyment of things stolen by you, without compensating for the suffering inflicted by you on others in the process?

We can cheat the judicial systems, law enforcement systems and everybody else – but the Nature’s infallible and inviolable Law of Karma is always with us. It calculates and gives you what you deserve on the basis of your deeds  – not necessarily what you want or need and not necessarily when you want or need.

Dharma is laid down in various Dharma Sasthras. There were many of them, but very few have survived. Manu Dharma Saasthra compiled by a famous king called Manu is available in bits and pieces, but, is widely misunderstood. Lord Krishna speaks of Karma theory in detail in Bhagavad Gita. Dharma prescribed in Vedas is considered more authentic, but Social systems and practices have moved far away from Vedic days. Yet, the Dharma Saasthra when examined in depth, appear highly relevant today, than at any time.

LAW OF ATTRACTION : We all talk of the Law of Attraction. It is a popular law now and largely it is true. But, You are not attracting and getting some thing merely because you want it badly.  It comes to you –because you have done some thing - either known to you or unknown to you – to deserve it. Sow the seed – and get the appropriate fruit at appropriate time. Sow the seed of Love- you get the fruits of LOVE. Sow Dharma – and your needs of Artha and Kaama are fulfilled.

 In the absence of Dharma, even the money, food, house etc you get – will give you suffering and not joy.  Let us understand that – Dharma is – as much a need as Artha and Kaama. You carry Dharma – the invisible result of your deeds always with you. If you are peaceful and joyful today – it is the invisible result of your own earlier deed fructifying today! If you are not – that too is the result of your own deeds.

However much we may earn the  ARTHA  and KAAMA – WE have to leave them behind on earth when DEATH  comes. All relationships also end with death. But, our Dharma is the only wealth which accompanies us. Spirituality emphasizes this in many ways. You need this invisible baggage of DHARMA in your next birth. Likewise, the PAPAM or SIN that we do, also accompanies us to the next birth and  gives different types of adverse effects. This third goal thus lays down that means are of great importance for earning and spending the first two goals of artha and Kaama.

Most people are aware of and are working  for these 3 goals only. 

But, do these three goals satisfy us in sufficient measure?

This is the question which comes up before every human being all through his life. Human wants are unlimited. As each want is satisfied, another want takes its place. So, we are in a vicious circle of wants, efforts and ends. Even DHARMA deos not really free us from this vicious circle.

Also, all the three Goals examined above and all the five types of needs of Abraham Maslow suffer from some serious limitations. Some of these LIMITATIONS of our goals were examined by the ancient Indian Gurus as below :

(i)                      PAIN : The very act of seeking the three goals involves inherent suffering and pain. The very desire itself, the efforts made to satisfy it, the efforts to be made to retain the achieved goal all involve pain. There is always the fear of losing what is achieved. Most of the desired objects  come into our life, stay with us for some time and then, go away from us. You must acquire them again. This unending pursuit of human wants involves pain. In many cases, the pain is much more than the pleasure that we get. Pain is longer and pleasure is shorter.

(ii)                 DISSATISFACTION : Every thing that we acquire may give us some satisfaction. But, it also gives us some dissatisfaction. Either we want more of it, or, we want some thing better than what we got. There is nothing that gives us complete satisfaction and only satisfaction. Always some dissatisfaction comes along. It creates seeking of some other or some more of the same – to avoid or to take away the dis-satisfaction. There is never a time that we get complete satisfaction and only satisfaction.

(iii)                 DEPENDENCE : whatever we seek or achieve, creates some dependence of us on it. We depend on the house, the spouse, the money, the friends and any thing that we acquire because of our efforts. This dependence also causes Pain and dis-satisfaction.

(iv)               TEMPORARY : All want satisfying things are temporary and have no permanence. The most beautiful wife ages soon. So will you too. The cleanest house becomes dirty and dilapidated. We are constantly reminded of their temporariness – even while they are with us.

 Thus, all the goals we achieve suffer from these limitations. Do we not need a goal which is free from all these limitations? That is our fourth goal – called Moksha or liberation.

MOKSHA

The goal of Moksha is elaborately dealt with in all Upanisads. Moksha or Liberation is – liberation from all the limitations of the aforesaid three Goals. All struggles, wants, dissatisfactions, pains, bondages and all fears must end. How does that happen?

Liberation is said to happen when you know YOUR true self or true nature. The body-mind complex that you possess comprises of the five universal elements  of space, air, fire, water and earth.

Be it your beautiful wife or husband or  a great meal, or a house, or any other thing that satisfies your want, it comprises of these five elements in some proportion. The five elements within you are seeking union with the five elements outside you. You want more and more of them – but this wanting never ends.  The wealthiest man is just as much dissatisfied and unhappy as the one on the roads -as this wanting never ends.

Now, the fourth goal of Moksha liberates you from this seeking by giving you your real nature back. Your real nature comprises of  three dimensions. First – the real you have no birth, no death, no illnesses, no growing old or young, no decaying and no pains. This dimension of YOU is called SATH. The second dimension is called CHITH -  that you are actually the CONSCIOUSNESS pervading your body and mind (and every where else in the Universe) and not the body and mind. The body and mind are given to you in this birth for certain purposes. The third dimension is, AANANDA – or joy. It is not that you are merely joyful – but you are joy itself. 

“YOU are the consciousness, which has no birth, death or suffering and is pure joy”.

All meditation is contemplation on this real you. Can you meditate on this?

It doesn’t matter, if this is confusing and you can’t agree with this because of your presently-held belief systems. The experience of this dimension of truth is not easy – for most people. The body-mind complex looks and feels so much like the real you.

But, this meditation (contemplation) has significant other tangible benefits for you. From a purely worldly life point of view – You will experience a calmness, a joy – which you can’t experience in any other worldly activity. You become much more joyful than you are today and reduce your sorrows and sufferings drastically, through simple means. This is a gradual progression towards liberation.

Liberation is not, repeat, NOT, some thing which happens after death. Liberation is said to occur instantly on realization of the truth.

Do you want to be more joyful – and less suffering? You do! Try this contemplation and meditation. Go to a competent Guru to teach you this. You lose thing – except, your tensions and suffering.

       

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HOW MUCH DO YOU (NOT) KNOW YOUR SELF? = MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

HOW MUCH DO YOU (NOT)

KNOW YOUR SELF?

We have seen in the three previous Posts – (a) how our wants and needs differ in their basic nature, (b) the functioning of the physical quotient and Intellectual quotient and (c) the functioning of emotional, social and spiritual quotients.

It is astonishing to know – how little we know the body and its five quotients we are living with and  how this is affecting our life every moment!

We will continue the discussion on human needs with reference to two  classifications – one by Abraham Maslow (the five layer structure of human needs) and another, by the ancient Indian saints ( a four layered structure) .

ABRAMAHAM MASLOW’S

HUMAN NEEDS HIERARCHY

Abraham Maslow is very famous for his hierarchy of human needs developed in 1940-50s. It is usually presented in the shape of a multi layered triangle :

In Maslow’s Needs Triangle, we find FIVE layers of human needs. He calls the five layers of needs as Physiological needs, Safety needs, Love/belonging needs, Esteem needs and self Actualization needs.

Maslow felt that these needs are hierarchical in nature. That is, each need comes either before or after another set of needs as per a specific ranking or order of obtainment.

Maslow's needs pyramid starts at the bottom of the pyramid with the basic items of needs of air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep. When one is badly in need of these basic items – he cannot think of striving for higher layers of needs.

These are followed by the Safety needs - protection from Nature/elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc. This need arises – after total or at least partial fulfillment of survival needs of the first layer.

Next layer belongs to Love / belongingness needs -  such as a work group, family, Love and affection, relationships. This layer of needs arises – when satisfaction of 1^st and 2^nd layers of needs is fully or at least partially accomplished.

The next layer is – for  self-esteem, confidence, achievement motivation and commanding respect from others etc. The same logic as earlier holds good here. This arises after full or at least partial satisfaction of the third layer.

The uppermost layer is - for personal fulfillment. He mentions - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences as essential for self actualization. This also arises when the 4^th layer of needs is fully or partially satisfied.

In 1970s, the following further needs were added :

Cognitive needs - of knowledge, meaning, etc.

Aesthetic needs – for appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.

In 1990s, some have further added the following to the classification of needs :

Transcendence needs - helping others to achieve self actualization.

Maslow has written considerably on - how a person at the level of SELF ACTUALIZATION NEEDS views the world, much differently from others. A few of these are mentioned below :

Ø  Keen sense of reality - aware of real situations - objective judgment, rather than subjective

Ø  See problems in terms of challenges and situations requiring solutions, rather than see problems as personal complaints or excuses

Ø  Need for privacy and comfortable being alone

Ø  Reliant on own experiences and judgment - independent - not reliant on culture and environment to form opinions and views

Ø  Not susceptible to social pressures - non-conformist

Ø  Democratic, fair and non-discriminating - embracing and enjoying all cultures, races and individual styles

Ø  Socially compassionate - possessing humanity

Ø  Accepting others as they are and not trying to change people

Ø  Comfortable with oneself - despite any unconventional tendencies

Ø  A few close intimate friends rather than many surface relationships

Ø  Sense of humour directed at oneself or the human condition, rather than at the expense of others

Ø  Spontaneous and natural - true to oneself, rather than being how others want

Ø  Excited and interested in everything, even ordinary things

Ø  Creative, inventive and original

Ø  Seek peak experiences that leave a lasting impression

While there could be lot of criticism of Maslow’s theory – it is chiefly valuable for people and for governments – to strive for satisfaction of the particular layer of needs which is crying for immediate attention – for each specific individual or group of people. His concept of self actualization looks idealistic – but many people – but not all -  are inclined to go for SELF ACTUALIZATION needs after the first 4 levels.

Burton and other needs theorists included a few more in this list, like :

• Identity -Identity is a sense of self worth in relation to the outside world. Identity becomes a problem when one's identity is not recognized as legitimate, or when it is considered inferior or is threatened by others with different identifications.
• Cultural security -- is related to identity, the need for recognition of one's language, traditions, religion, cultural values, ideas, and concepts.
• Freedom -- is the condition of having no physical, political, or civil restraints; having the capacity to exercise choice in all aspects of one's life.
• Distributive justice -- is the need for the fair allocation of resources among all members of a community.
• Participation -- is the need to be able to actively partake in and influence civil society

The never ending additions to the list of needs shows that many wants are being classified as NEEDS now.

Many of these needs are listed from motivational angle – rather than ACTUAL NEEDS angle –which means that these are wants and not needs. The clear difference is – their non-satisfaction does not result in any great harm – except some dissatisfaction.

Are these our only NEEDS and WANTS? Are there others – which we are not even conscious of? In our current life – we find so many needs and wants. How should their means of their satisfaction be? Can we employ any type of means for satisfaction of our needs and ends? If I employ some means – which hurt others – what happens to me?

Why and how on earth – are all these WANTS  and NEEDS  becoming our WANTS and NEEDS at all?

We always think of – where did I come from? Where will I go after this life? If I do have an idea of the beyond – what are my needs for the beyond?

These questions too, are begging for our answers.

That will be covered in the next Post.

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