Needs as nuisance

To put is as suc­cinct­ly as pos­si­ble, the­se peo­p­le all find desi­re or impul­se to be a nui­sance or even a thre­at and the­r­e­fo­re will try gene­ral­ly to get rid of it, to deny or avo­id it.

This con­ten­ti­on is some­ti­mes an accu­ra­te report of what is the case. The phy­sio­lo­gi­cal needs, the need for safe­ty, for love, for respect, for infor­ma­ti­on are often nui­sances for many peo­p­le, psy­chic trou­ble­ma­kers, and pro­blem-crea­tors, espe­ci­al­ly for tho­se who have had unsuc­cessful expe­ri­en­ces at gra­ti­fy­ing them and for tho­se who can­not count on gratification.

Even with the­se defi­ci­en­ci­es, howe­ver, the case is very bad­ly over­drawn: one can accept and enjoy one’s needs and wel­co­me them to con­scious­ness if (a) past expe­ri­ence with them has been rewar­ding and (b) if pre­sent and future gra­ti­fi­ca­ti­on can be coun­ted on. For exam­p­le, if one has in gene­ral enjoy­ed food and if good food is always available, the emer­gence of appe­ti­te into con­scious­ness is wel­co­med ins­tead of drea­ded. („The trou­ble with eating is that it kills my appe­ti­te.“) Some­thing like that is true for thirst, for slee­pi­ness, for sex, for depen­den­cy needs and for love needs. 

Towards a Psy­cho­lo­gy of Being, Abra­ham Maslow