What Drives You? (version 3)

The Reasons Why You Do What You Do in222 animated Google SketchUp Screenshots

What Drives You?

This is me, you, or anyone.

Say, “Hi.”

Let’s get a little closer, shall we?

`What drives you?

I mean, what makes you do what you do . . .

. . . minute-by-minute, day-by-day, year-by-year?

And I’m not asking about your religious or philosophical beliefs.

That’s a discussion for another time.

I’m asking about something that exists just below those objective truths.

I’m asking about something that is undeniably true for all of us,

regardless of our religion and/or philosophy.

What drives ALL of us?

This presentation may help answer that question:

Abraham Maslow suggested we all possess a classifiable hierarchy of needs.



While overall his theory seems to hold, in practice the structure seems TOO structured.



You can only be in one place at a time.



And you can only go “up.”



Manfred Max Neef suggested a much less structured version of a classifiable system of needs.

His theory differs from Maslow’s in that he doesn’t believe there is a hierarchy built into the needs.





Instead, needs are interactive and simultaneously vying for attention.




That means you can be in more than one place at a time.




But subsistence generally remains primary.

So, what do you think? Does that help you answer the question?

Perhaps so, but let’s look at something else before you do.

What if the two theories were combined?

There’s Maslow’s pyramid.

There’s Max Neef’s nebulous clouds.

And . . . GO!

That’s no spaceship, but climb up there anyway and get a feel for things.



What you’re looking at is a new theory on human needs.

Let’s go ahead and break this monstrosity down.

Imperative Needs spurn all other needs. They all seek to avoid some form of pain in the Natural Needs, which will be explained next.

Imperative Needs spurn all other needs. They all seek to avoid some form of pain in the Natural Needs, which will be explained next.

The form of pain differs dependent upon the domain in which we experience life, but we ALL experience life in a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual manner. (Note: the “spiritual” domain is defined slightly unconventionally within this paradigm. You will see this for yourself as the paradigm is explained.)

Natural Needs come directly from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; however, there are some differences. Firstly, Maslow proposed that there were 8 steps in his needs pyramid. He made 4 pairs from the 8. The Natural Needs in this Needs Paradigm are the first member in each of those pairs. The second members are the Confirmation Needs, which will be explained next. Secondly, whereas Maslow's pyramid entailed that the needs arose in a succession, this Needs Paradigm has all the needs beginning at once; however, the needs are not entirely without structure/order, as Max Neef would have them with his nebulous of simultaneously competing needs.

The hierarchy built within this Needs Paradigm is based on precedence. The needs on top take precedence over those below and progress to the next level is hindered if needs in a previous Natural Need level have not been well met.

Examples of Physical Needs include: air, water, food, and shelter.

Examples of Emotional Needs include: affection, admiration, and affirmation.

Examples of Mental Needs include: order, language, and stimulation.

Examples of Spiritual Needs include: inspiration, motivation, and determination.

Confirmation Needs are the second member in Maslow's pairs. They serve two purposes: 1) to secure the means by which we were able to meet our Natural Needs, and 2) to help us synthesize all that we experienced within each domain so as to prepare us to move to the next level of needs. Out of the Confirmation Needs come Response Needs. It is at these points that most of humanity’s troubles lay because there exist crossroads, and more often than not, humans choose the path that leads to more pain, which is precisely what we are trying to avoid from the start.

Examples of Security Needs include: water and food source, personal property.

Examples of Esteem Needs include: care, recognition, and influence.

Examples of Aesthetic Needs include: consistency, meaning, knowledge.

Examples of Transcendence Needs include: enlightenment and actualization.

Unlike Positive Responses, Negative Responses occur on the path toward Fear and/or Selfishness. Actions will seem like progress to the individual, but will in fact be greatly hindering their progress through this Needs Paradigm, and more often than not, lead to a vicious cycle of pain/suffering. There is little help being offered to others by individuals in this cycle, quite the opposite. More to come on this soon.

Positive actions include those that occur on the path toward Fearlessness and/or Selflessness. They assist greatly in being able to maneuver up this Needs Paradigm and (possibly more importantly) have the potential to help others through the paradigm as well. The more of us that are free from the cycle of pain/suffering, the less pain/suffering there is to avoid. More to come on this soon.

We need to feel like we are progressing through life. Progress requires action. Response Needs are the manner in which we ATTEMPT to progress through life, and thus the Needs Paradigm. Backtracking for clarification, Response Needs are prompted by our Confirmation Needs, which seek to secure and confirm our ability to meet our Natural Needs.

Capstone Needs are the rewards from having achieved Natural and Confirmation Needs regardless of the manner in which we chose to respond to meeting those needs. They exist in a sort of cloud almost outside of this Needs Paradigm. It is a place to break away for a time and indulge ourselves. Most people treat the Capstone Needs as the ultimate goal in maneuvering through life, and thus this Needs Paradigm, and do everything they can to remain there. If nothing else is able to make such individuals wake up to reality, then our Obligations, which you will see next, are always there to be a ceiling and remind us of more important needs. The Capstone Needs are:





Like it or not, Obligations are needs. Further, they actually serve a purpose within this paradigm. They act as a ceiling over our Capstone Needs, reminding us that we cannot indulge ourselves indefinitely. Obligations include, but are not limited to:





Societies are designed to be an apparatus by which everyone is supposed to be able to better meet their needs, protect the means by which the needs are satisfied, and gain confirmation their needs are being satisfied. Society begins with the family and expands accordingly.





What’s important to understand, and why societal formation is even in this Needs Paradigm is due to the fact societies move through this Needs Paradigm in much the same way as people - societies are made up of people after all - falling into the same cycle of pain/suffering.

If you would like a copy of this paradigm as labelled here, there should be an attachment available wherever this presentation is being presented, such as in the comments section on YouTube. Unfortunately, the descriptions of each category of needs would not fit in the graphic.


Okay, so that’s the Human Needs Paradigm.Now what’s the Human Response Matrix all about?









Well, follow me and I’ll show you.Oh, you’re already there.








We’ve established that life is painful.

We learn to avoid pain very early in life,

We learn to avoid pain very early in life,

and to seek comfort.

and to seek comfort.

So, it could be said, life is sensations. Those sensations cause us to find a comfortable spot on an axis between Fearful and Fearless.



Another important aspect of life is perception.

We readily perceive ourselves, but have a difficult time perceiving all else.



Our perception causes us to find a spot between Selfish and Selfless.

We end up with a simple set of axes. But there is, of course, anotheraxis. Let’s get a look at this thing from another angle.







There it is. But what aspect of life creates it?



Information creates it, not just information alone, but our ability to synthesize all the information that comes at us.



The 3rd axis is largely determined by factors beyond our control,but not ENTIRELY!

The variety of information that comes at us is vast. It is not enough to merely understand correctly what the information entails. It is vital we also possess an ability and willingness to apply it to the various situations in which we find ourselves - from perceiving a friends emotional state to recognizing inner hubris. Likewise, what is important on this axis is our ability to establish truth for ourselves and abide by that truth. It can also concern how close we come to objective truth, but again, we’ll not open that can of worms.

Those factors include, but are not limited to: genetics, socioeconomics, and/or even solar flares.

With these axes in place, the Matrix begins to naturally form.







Let’s clean this up to make it easier to see.

Let’s clean this up to make it easier to see.

The Human Response Matrix is made up of 8 cubes.We’ll examine each one

next.

But first it should be noted up front the chosen viewing angle of this Matrix was intentional, as you’ll soon notice. It should also be noted that the very center of the Matrix is the point of “average” for all of the axes.

The Childish Cube.

Childish because it is the cube created by the traits: Fearful, Selfish, and Incapable. Individuals in this cube are just as its name describes. It is the cube closest to us in this view because it is the cube in which we are all born and out of which we too often do not climb.

The Exemplary Cube.

Exemplary because it is the cube created by the traits: Fearless, Selfless, and Capable. Individuals in this cube are pillars among us. It is the cube farthest away in this view because it is so rarely occupied.

`The Strengthened Cube

Strengthened because it is a mixture of the traits: Fearless, Selfish, and Capable. Individuals in this cube are looking out for themselves and doing so very well, at least, so it would appear. The important thing that separates them from individuals in other cubes is that their actions are not our of fear.

The Weakened Cube

Weakened because it is a mixture of the traits: Fearful, Selfless, and Incapable. Individuals in this cube are dealing with some heavy issues, very likely causing them to act out of fear, but they are not taking it out on others.

The Cautious Cube

Cautious because it is a mixture of the traits: Fearful, Selfless, and Capable. Individuals in this cube are best known for their healthy pessimism and are willing to let others “benefit” from it.

The Admirable Cube

Admirable because it is a mixture of the traits: Fearless, Selfless, and Incapable. Individuals in this cube are best known for their optimism, and sometimes, ignorant blissfulness.

The Deplorable Cube

Deplorable because it is a mixture of the traits: Fearful, Selfish, and Capable. Individuals in this cube are fully aware of that which provokes their actions and the consequences of those actions, but are blinded by self-preservation too much to care. The world’s worst characters reside in this cube.

The Reckless Cube

Reckless because it is a mixture of the traits: Fearless, Selfish, and Incapable. Individuals in this cube are oblivious to the pain/suffering their actions bring on others and themselves. An extreme “YOLO” mentality could epitomize individuals in this cube.

Revealing The Realm

Each pair of axes creates a natural area of likelihood wherein responses would reside. For instance, as you can see here, if someone is Incapable at synthesizing information, they are MORE likely to be Fearful. We’ll find this area for each pair next.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Capable at synthesizing information, they are MORE likely to be Fearless.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Fearful, they are LESS likely to be Capable.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Fearless, they are LESS likely to be Incapable.

Revealing The Realm

This is the resulting area for the entire x and y axes pairs.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Fearful, they are MORE likely to be Selfish.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Fearless, they are MORE likely to be Selfless.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Selfless, they are LESS likely to be Fearful.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Selfish, they are LESS likely to be Fearless.

Revealing The Realm

This is the resulting area for the entire x and z axes pairs.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Incapable at synthesizing information, they are MORE likely to be Selfish.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Capable at synthesizing information, they are MORE likely to be Selfless.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Selfish, they are LESS likely to be Capable.

Revealing The Realm

If someone is Selfless, they are LESS likely to be Incapable.

Revealing The Realm

This is the resulting area for the entire y and z axes pairs.

The Realm

This is The Realm of likelihood wherein most responses will fall; however, that is not to suggest there are not a significant amount of responses that fall outside of The Realm. People are a very unpredictable breed at times.

Let’s recap this information quickly. Again, a printable version of The Response Matrix will be available wherever this presentation is being presented.

Let’s bring this back down so you can see it at it’s

proper angle.


proper angle.


proper angle.


proper angle.


proper angle.


proper angle.

While the previous angle made it easier to read, this angle is

how it truly exists.

Now, let’s revisit the Needs Paradigm and see how these

two theories relate.









Since Negative Responses are going to reside in the cubes that are created by the portions of the axes that represent the traits: Fearful, Selfish, and Incapable, individuals choosing such responses are, typically, not simply carrying out preemptive protection measures, they are also, typically, because of fear, performing preemptive striking measures. Such responses cause a vicious cycle of always working backwards through the Needs Paradigm as one consistently reenforces their personal security measures at each Natural Need level. As others see the increased security measures, they too feel threatened and enact their own measures. Again, the measures will very often manifest as preemptive strikes against each other. Bottom line: Negative Responses focus on avoiding pain/suffering by protecting self alone and are often erroneously seen as the only alternative.

Positive Responses are the alternative. Since such responses are going to reside in the cubes that are created by the portions of the axes that represent the traits: Fearless, Selfless, and Capable, individuals choosing such responses are concerned with others and all else before self. This can, or course, be a balancing act at times; self is not, typically, completely disregarded. The point is that actions are not the result of fear for one's security. The responses are not acted out in total ignorance of the pain and/or suffering in life, but in full awareness of them, especially the fact the source of most of the pain and/or suffering is others, who likewise endured pain and/or suffering at the hands of others. Such responses break the vicious cycle of Negative Responses, which most people are accustomed to. Bottom Line: Positive Responses focus on transcending the shackles of life - pain/suffering and a narrowed perception - and seek the same for everyone.

So, what drives you?

What Drives You?Directed by: Damian Niolet

CG Design work by: Damian NioletAnimations by: Damian Niolet

Copy written by: Damian NioletTheories created by: Damian Niolet (except where indicated)

Voice overs:

Niolet’s Needs Paradigm and Niolet’s Human Response Matrix are properties of Damian Niolet. Feel free to disseminate this presentation, so long as it remains intact. Feel free to share the theories so long as I am credited. (If I seem a little too protective of this material

. . . Hey! I have needs!)

Google SketchUp is owned by Google

This is version 3.0 of “What Drives You?”Have comments or suggestions? Let me know and perhaps there will be a version 4.0.

Find me all over the internet by searching for me by name or my screen name, “dniolet.” Or contact me directly at [email protected]

“The more I believe conflict is unavoidable, the less I will do to prevent it.” - Damian Niolet

mailto:[email protected]

Date post:	07-Aug-2015
Category:	Science
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What Drives You? (version 3)

Science