1. Money;
2. Love;
3. Revenge;
4. Excitement;
5. Safety;
6. Peace of mind; and
7. Meaning.
First, is money. That's why we get up and do boring activities everyday: for money. Money means freedom and independence.And with sufficient money you can satisfy most of the other basic wants.
The question is still out on whether money can buy love. You can certainly buy a dog with money that will love you. But it's not quite the same as love from a human, even if it is steadier and less prone to betrayals. After a while, most people give up on love and just watch videos.
Revenge takes a lot of energy. You have to be really angry to want revenge. Otherwise, it's just too much trouble to key someone's car, put superglue in their locks, and flatten their tires.
By excitement, I mean the opposite of boredom. People will do crazy stuff to escape boredom, such as crossword puzzles, read the bible, sleep with completely inappropriate partners, spend lots of money to sleep in overpriced hotels, and spray graffiti on walls.
Safety means being free of fear. People will take whatever they can and move to another country if the threat is great enough. I always thought that would be a good opening for a novel: Take whatever you can carry and follow me.
Finally there is meaning. It's almost as bad as boredom for the insane things that people will do. For example, people will join monasteries, fast, drop acid, and danced naked all in the cause of finding meaning.
In sum, money and safety are the only basic wants worth focusing on.
Revenge takes a lot of energy. You have to be really angry to want revenge. Otherwise, it's just too much trouble to key someone's car, put superglue in their locks, and flatten their tires.
By excitement, I mean the opposite of boredom. People will do crazy stuff to escape boredom, such as crossword puzzles, read the bible, sleep with completely inappropriate partners, spend lots of money to sleep in overpriced hotels, and spray graffiti on walls.
Safety means being free of fear. People will take whatever they can and move to another country if the threat is great enough. I always thought that would be a good opening for a novel: Take whatever you can carry and follow me.
Finally there is meaning. It's almost as bad as boredom for the insane things that people will do. For example, people will join monasteries, fast, drop acid, and danced naked all in the cause of finding meaning.
In sum, money and safety are the only basic wants worth focusing on.
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