Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Ser o estar

There is a hierarchy of all our actions.  Primarily we do what we need to do; what we must do to continue living.  The newborn screams to fill its lungs with air.  It learns that it can safely hold its breath for a relatively short time before searing pain reminds it to inhale.  We have a need to respect and interact reflexively with gravity.  A person moving off a ledge, being defenestrated or leaping from a plane must know the appropriate action to prevent lethal contact with ground after the fall. These are some needs we have: not a complete list, nor necessarily in order of urgency (though breathing is probably at the top of the list).
Then there are the actions we have to perform. These required behaviors are constant and periodic. You can take your time with all of them, but at sometime you must do things like pee or risk a burst bladder. You must eat or your body will consume itself until you can no longer do anything, but you can stop concerning yourself with having to shit. If you eat and don't defecate you are in a world of hurt. It is a must.
Then there are the should dos. You may survive a surprisingly long time without performing should 
actions, but your life is likely to suffer a negative 
blowback unless you are a masochist. You should take your hand as quickly as you out of a fire, or put on an oven mitt before touching anything in a hot oven. Being out naked in the sun also holds the potential for burning skin, so watch your time and pinkening. So many should dos to learn. So little time. Using a sharp knife is a very useful action if you have learned how to avoid cutting deeply into your own flesh.
Then there are the want to dos.  The like to dos. These are activities that at some level give you pleasure. If you are fortunate, all of the must and have to dos will fall into this category. Taking a 
good piss or shit.  Eating and drinking tasty 
nourishing food. Opening the parachute at the right time after having jumped out of the airplane.
You'd thing having sex, which is so pleasurable to most might also be a have to do.  Well, it is a necessity for the survival of our species, but not for ourselves. Copulation is often recreation. This category includes so many actions and mind states that no one should ever have to ask you what you want to do.  The pleasure principle will soon lead you to one of those behaviors.  Now mind you, this is a very tough category to open up to everyone at any time in any place.  These want to dos can be illegal, immoral, unseemly, disgusting 
to others, and dangerous ( are you stupid? ). 

Finally, the don't want to do actions. These are the behaviors for which you need to learn to delay your gratification and/ or avoid punishment. There is a hierarchy within the above proffered hierarchy because not all the actions are so totally unpleasant that you will not do them, and some are so fear, disgust, and anxiety provoking that you might prefer being locked up in jail, than doing them.  Fear can paralyze, in which case there's  virtually nothing you can do try to keep breathing.  Who is afraid a thousand spiders sleeping with you in your bed?  Who would jump into a full latrine and orally sample the degree of  biodegradation?  We go to work, do chores like taking out the trash, spend our money to buy groceries, clean up the dog poop from the carpet where Rover has shit lately for the past three days. Take Rover to the Doggie Training School. You get the idea. Life should get better with the don't 
want to dos, so you really try to do them. Aren't you a responsible adult after all?
Peace.