I think you’ve pointed to something I’m aware of but having yet mustered a plan to unravel, which is the need to feel validated. I’ve long since been aware that simply telling myself “this is good enough” is a short recipe for complacency which is uncomfortable in the short and stifling in the long. I trust even less the judgement of other people. I think I was trying to get at something Hazard mentioned, this idea of universal values so that I could self-validate in accordance with objective criteria, thereby giving myself the power to direct myself and understand if my direction is correct.
I’m of the thinking that even the most abstract psychological needs come from how physical needs are perceived. I would say the answer to why power is basically as follows. Power for two reasons, one attention, the other, power itself. I think power (in the sense of political power) attracts attention, in this way I hope to have many more people than just myself working to make me the best possible thing. I think this is dual rooted in my own belief that I am not competent enough to reach my own fullest potential (a paradox, i’m sure) and that I just /like/ other people paying attention to me. I want to be the center of attention more often than not. I would say the other is power for it’s own sake. Power is the ability to make change, which is a form of control, if you have control you have security, and as a human I just want security.
I would be lying if I said I’m sure I’m altruistic. I only know that I /want/ to be. But this desire seems to be rooted in a fear of being rejected by other people. I know that I can’t be accepted by everyone, but it seems that if I am altruistic, then is in other’s best interest to accept me, which will make me more likely to be accepted. The idea that the need for acceptance is rooted this deep in my values is actually disgusting to me, I think because saying that it’s not genuine altruism is to admit that there is grounds to reject me.
I think you’ve pointed to something I’m aware of but having yet mustered a plan to unravel, which is the need to feel validated. I’ve long since been aware that simply telling myself “this is good enough” is a short recipe for complacency which is uncomfortable in the short and stifling in the long. I trust even less the judgement of other people. I think I was trying to get at something Hazard mentioned, this idea of universal values so that I could self-validate in accordance with objective criteria, thereby giving myself the power to direct myself and understand if my direction is correct.
I’m of the thinking that even the most abstract psychological needs come from how physical needs are perceived. I would say the answer to why power is basically as follows. Power for two reasons, one attention, the other, power itself. I think power (in the sense of political power) attracts attention, in this way I hope to have many more people than just myself working to make me the best possible thing. I think this is dual rooted in my own belief that I am not competent enough to reach my own fullest potential (a paradox, i’m sure) and that I just /like/ other people paying attention to me. I want to be the center of attention more often than not. I would say the other is power for it’s own sake. Power is the ability to make change, which is a form of control, if you have control you have security, and as a human I just want security.
I would be lying if I said I’m sure I’m altruistic. I only know that I /want/ to be. But this desire seems to be rooted in a fear of being rejected by other people. I know that I can’t be accepted by everyone, but it seems that if I am altruistic, then is in other’s best interest to accept me, which will make me more likely to be accepted. The idea that the need for acceptance is rooted this deep in my values is actually disgusting to me, I think because saying that it’s not genuine altruism is to admit that there is grounds to reject me.