Down the Rabbit Hole

Catcher asked me if I felt "safe" when I'm with him.  I puzzled over this question.  Does it mean physical, spiritual, emotional, sexual safety or other? In the broader sense or in the context of a relationship?  (Part of the reason I found the query perplexing is because I feel like we have a non-relationship - it's more of an 'understanding'.)  Safety has many implications so I'm not sure what the question refers to and am still awaiting a reply from my inquirer.

In the mean time, it has been an intellectually stimulating research regarding human needs and motivation.  Dipping back into Psychology 101, I recall Abraham Maslow's concept of hierarchy of needs.  There are deficiency needs,  those that arise due to deprivation (physiological [hunger, thirst, sleep, etc], safety/security/shelter/health, belongingness/love/friendsip, self-esteem/recognition/achievement). Satisfying these lower-level needs is important in order to avoid unpleasant feelings or consequences. Then there are growth needs - which do not stem from a lack of something, but rather from a desire to grow as a person; what Maslow termed self-actualization. 

Mossy trail to Mt Forgotten Meadows, WA

While exploring Maslow's theory, I unearthed Pandora's box of postulates that seek to explain what motivates us as humans.  The information I found is a nauseating chunk to digest.  Motivational theories included incentive, drive-reduction, need based, cognitive, unconscious, and basic desires theories - just to name a few.  And why would we want to know what motivates us? Well, for one, it is very useful in the business and especially marketing arena. Motivation is also central to game design; without some motivation, a player will lose interest in progressing further.  Unfortunately, the control of motivation is of limited understanding. There are a variety of approaches of motivation training however many critics consider these pseudoscientific at best.   To dive into how to control motivation, one has to understand why many people lack motivation. And down the rabbit hole we go....

So I ponder on what motivates me.  I suppose it depends in what aspect of life.  In terms of relationships (or at present, "understanding"), that has changed over the years as I've become (so I'd like to think) wiser or maybe just more insightful.  Right now, probably sensuality, discovery, and the pleasure of letting go. Free falling does have its evanescent thrill. Emphasis on the adjective.