P

pain

(n.) Your body warning you—with an unpleasant experience to compel your awareness—of a likely threat to your ability to function. Prompts you to remove the threat or remove yourself from the threat, so you can continue functioning unabated. The greater the threat to your ability to function, typically the more intense the pain. If managing the presenting threat without fully removing it, the result is typically experienced as a dull yet tolerable level of pain or bearable discomfort.

You either respond to the needs your pain reports or you react to your pain by prioritizing relief. Effectively responding to the underlying needs of your pain removes cause for that pain. Reacting to your pain tends to leave you in more pain, as your body persists to warn you of the persisting threat. You typically prefer the pain you feel over any pain you fear. You know how to handle the familiar discomfort of repeated disappointments from a friend who rarely arrives on time, for example, than the unfamiliar pain of confronting their lack of punctuality at the risk of losing their friendship.

When the means to fully remove the threat or remove yourself from the threat remains elusive, you tend to gravitate toward pain-relieving alternatives. When such alternatives become your routine, you tend to become emotionally attached to their familiar provisions for comfort. These can increase your risk for addiction to pain-coping behaviors. (See symfunction capture.)

Once your body senses all threats are satisfactorily removed enough for your life to fully function, it has no more cause to provoke painful awareness. Your pain only exists to warn you of threats to your ability to fully function. Absent of any threat, you do not experience any pain. Any persisting pain stems from your body continually trying to warn you of some apparent threat or threats to remove, so you can return to full functioning.

Each painful emotion brings you awareness of a particular threat. Outside of that threat, you cannot feel that particular emotional pain unless eliciting it from memory of a threat-provoking situation (i.e., vicariously).

• alienation - Outside of a felt need to connect more deeply with others, you feel no alienation.

• anger - Outside of a felt need to reject some apparent threat, you feel no anger.

• confusion - Outside of a felt need to make sense of something, you feel no confusion.

• depression - Outside of a felt need to redirect your energies, you feel no depression.

• disappointment - Outside of a felt need for others to be trustworthy, you feel no disappointment.

• disgust - Outside of a felt need to remove something offensive, you feel no disgust.

• embarrassment - Outside of a felt need to cover something exposed, you feel no embarrassment.

• fear - Outside of a felt need to handle something menacing, you feel no fear.

• frustration - Outside of a felt need to have things go as planned, you feel no frustration.

• grief - Outside of a felt need to adjust to a deep loss, you feel no grief.

• guilt - Outside of a felt need to restore your respect for others, you feel no guilt.

• insecure - Outside of a felt need to avoid any risk of harm, you feel no insecurity.

• jealousy - Outside of a felt need to enjoy what another enjoys, you feel no jealousy.

• loneliness - Outside of a felt need to connect with someone, you feel no loneliness.

• powerlessness - Outside of a felt need to control your situation, you feel no powerlessness.

• regret - Outside of a felt need to reconsider your actions, you feel no regret.

• restlessness - Outside of a felt need to promptly get something done, you feel no restlessness.

• sadness - Outside of a felt need to deal with some loss, you feel no sadness.

• shame - Outside of a felt need to guard your social image, you feel no shame.

• stress - Outside of a felt need to meet some high expectation, you feel no stress.

You cannot fully function when such threats persist. There is no such thing as pain apart from unresolved needs.

Your pain serves your need for awareness to do something about such threats. Pain is not the problem as much as the threats your pain tries to report. You either let your emotional pain serve you, or you may find yourself serving your pain.

passive-aggressive pain relief

(n.) - DEFUNCTION

A defunction of reacting to the discomfort of unresolved needs by immediately trying to ease its discomfort in both unassertive and hostile ways. Similar to the defunction of reactive pain relief and in contrast to the strategic pain relief and discomfort embrace.

pathological pragmatism

(n.) - DEFUNCTION

The defunction of emphasizing what seems more practical or easier to achieve in the moment, permissively lowering standards in ways that risk perpetuating painful problems. Distinct from the grace of affirming progressive steps towards reaching a standard for resolving needs. Correlates with symfunctionality.

pathology

(n.) - DEFUNCTION

Condition of diminished wellness that prevents continued functioning at a level necessary to effectively respond to needs, both to your own needs and to the needs of others. Typically results in sustained pain as the body continually warns of the perceived diminishment of functioning.

Too often, one feels compelled to relieve the pain instead of removing cause for this pain, which tends to create a vicious cycle that can reinforce the pathology. Such compulsion to prioritize relief may correlate with a sense of powerless to do much if anything to resolve the affected needs, such as those needs constrained by power problems and more acutely with structural problems. The more powerholders or others benefit in any way from such pathology, the less inclined they are to support resolving the affected needs, which anankelogy defines as evil.

peakfunction

(n.) Highest level of a person's or entity's ability to function focused on promptly resolving all needs. Sits just above symfunction in the function array.

politics

(n.) The art of generalizing how to agreeably address needs in different social situations.

This anankelogically-inspired definition presents three components that are easily compounded in conventional politics:

1. Generalizing over specifics. Generalizing to as many as possible to build coalitions typically includes generalizing in the sense of avoiding specifics that risk undercutting such widely cultivated agreements. The less your specific needs resolve, the more pulled into political overgeneralizing offering you some relief that keeps your needs less resolved. Here is where conventional politics manifests avoidance culture.

2. Relieving pain over resolving needs. Appealing to the majority who experience normalized pain risks adopting policies perpetuating that pain. The more emotionally attached to familiar politically shaped relief, the less open to engaging more disciplined solutions that could remove cause for pain. Here is where conventional politics also manifests avoidance culture with such defunctions as normative alienation and mutual defensiveness.

3. One's own versus another's situation. Selfishly prioritizing own interests at the expense of respecting the needs of others fuels conflicts and reinforces polarization. The more you push against other's inflexible needs, the more their inflexible needs push back. Here is where conventional politics manifests oppo culture with such defunctions as psychosocial imbalance, indulgent side-taking and conflict porn.

popgen

(n. & adj.)  - DEFUNCTION

Short for "popular generalization" or "popular generalizing" that privileges (with social norms) overlooking many specifics necessary to resolve the relevant needs. Akin to the notion of a "lay" version of something. See relief-gen. Also a type of defunction, such as a popgen version.

popgen version

(n.) - DEFUNCTION

A popularly generalized watered down form of an accepted theory or philosophy, presenting with generalizations that are typically more politically normative than academically descriptive, and often discounted by opponents as too ideological. Opposite of critical version.

EXAMPLES:

• popgen liberalism

• popgen existentialism & popgen rational choice theory

• popgen postmodernism

• popgen microaggression

• popgen race theory

• popgen identity politics & popgen intersectionality

• popgen transgenderism

• popgen libertarianism

• popgen gun rights

• popgen free market dynamics

Each of these grew out of a critical version with some merit, but then watered down to relieve some felt need with little to attention to the affected needs of others. Opponents to these watered down normative versions who seldom or never acknowledge the merit of its original critical version readily indulge in oppo culture and avoidance culture as part of the power delusion. See relief-gen.

power delusion

(n.) - DEFUNCTION

Rigid belief in holding socially privileged influence over others and calling it power, or rigid belief in others holding socially privileged influence over you, contrary to all evidence that such coercive-leaning influence typically detracts from resolving needs, which mostly perpetuates pain and problems. Can also refer to conflating the lesser "power" of privileged social influence with the greater power of nature that shapes the needs that in turn prompt widespread desire for this lesser power.

praise sandwich

(n.) A more effective communication format that delivers a piece of bad news between two slices of good news.

• GOOD NEWS - positive: such as affirming another's affected needs.

• BAD NEWS - negative: such as bringing up one's own affected needs.

• GOOD NEWS - positive: such as inviting a continued diagogue covering each other's affected needs.

Serves to build rapport for mutual regard, and to soften the risk for defensiveness. See image here and here.

premature opposition

(n.) prematurely oppose (v.) - DEFUNCTION

The defunction of asserting one’s difference of flexible beliefs or flexible actions in contrast with another’s flexible beliefs or flexible actions without first relating to the inflexible needs behind such beliefs and actions. In other words, reacting to a difference in opinion in such a way that predictably provokes defensiveness. While trapped in mutual defensiveness, the affected needs remain painfully unresolved. That opinion typically serves as an outwardly less vulnerable and safer expression for an inwardly vulnerable need that cannot be easily changed. 

This could include instances of being needlessly confrontational, which may feed one's conflict porn.

This defunction exists as part of the power delusion, and manifested in avoidance culture and oppo culture at odds with resolving needs and at odds with sustainable wellness. See indulgent side-taking.

project wellness campaign

(n.) The second type of wellness campaign focused on resolving not only the identified wellness need(s) of the RI client but also those of the similarly situated. The other types are case and movement campaigns.

proper adversarialism

(n.) Opposing other's beliefs and actions to critique their impact without opposing or resisting their inflexible needs; most effective when also affirming their good points and appreciating their helpful behaviors (see "praise sandwich"). Contrasts with toxic adversarialism, to differentiate different types of adversarialism.

properly resolve needs

(v.) To fully resolve needs in ways that do not prevent others from keeping their needs resolved. This ranges from inconsequential inconvenience to the needs of others to positively impacting the needs of others, as identified by noting these four metallic standards.

• Bronz standard - mildly inconveniences others

• Silver standard - no impact on others

• Gold standard - helps others

• Platinum standard - helps everyone

In contrast to improperly resolving needs, you properly resolve your needs when you can restore yourself to full functioning without hindering others from resolving their needs toward restored functioning. This can occur along four levels, each identified with a precious medal to make it easier for anyone to recognize.

Bronz standard. Resolving one’s own needs in ways that mildly inconveniences others. For example, when in the winter you shovel out the snow in your driveway, you enable everyone in your family with a car to get in and out. But you inconvenience your neighbor who has to walk around the piles of snow you shoved aside near their yard.

Silver standard. Resolving one’s own needs in a way that leaves no impact on others. For example, when you invest twenty minutes each day this week to stay in shape, you resolve your health need to stay fit. But your actions have not immediate impact upon others around you.

Gold standard. Resolving one’s own needs in ways that actually helps others resolve their needs. For example, when you get your car fixed, you help your family members dependent on you for rides. And you help the mechanic make a living.

Platinum standard. Resolving one’s own needs in ways that helps everyone resolve their needs. For example, when you keep a positive attitude and smile pleasantly at everyone you meet, you not only resolve your need to maintain wellbeing but also contribute a little something to their wellbeing.

properly resolving needs (v.); properly resolved needs (n.); opposite to improperly resolving needs

proxy

(n.) [wellness campaign terminology] Someone serving on behalf of a campaigner, who subscribes as the campaigner but is not the person with the targeted wellness need.

psychosocial balancing

(n. & v.) - REFUNCTION

The refunction of cultivating an equilibrium between your pressing social-needs and pressing self-needs. Nature automatically pulls you to balance both through a process of psychosocial oscillation—compelling you to focus on seasons of self-needs and seasons on social-needs. See image here.

1. Your spring: when your less resolved social needs emerge and demand your attention.

2. Your summer: when your social needs dominate more than your self-needs.

3. Your autumn: when your less resolved self-needs emerge and demand your attention.

4. Your winter: when your self-needs dominate more than your social needs.

The more your self-needs resolve and social needs resolve on par with each other, the more your natural needs can resolve, the more pain you can remove, and the more potential you can reach. The more you can match what you can do for yourself with what you can rely on others to provide what you cannot reliably do for yourself, the more psychosocial flow you experience.

The less your self-needs resolve and social needs resolve on par with each other, the less your natural needs can resolve, the less pain you can remove, and the less potential you can reach. You experience this as the defunction of psychosocial imbalance.

psychosocial blind spot

(n.) - DEFUNCTION

Attention drawn to one's own psychosocial priority of needs tends to impede awareness of a viably different psychosocial priority of needs. For example, one's own dependence upon government services (presenting a psychosocial wide orientation) can blind oneself from appreciating the necessity of a small business owner to grow their business with less government interference (presenting a psychosocial deep orientation). See psychosocial orientation below.

psychosocial flow

(n.) - REFUNCTION

The refunction of unleashing your natural energy to resolve needs, to remove pain and to raise functioning, by syncing your internal potential with external supports. See psychosocial balancing.

psychosocial imbalance

(n.) - DEFUNCTION

The defunction of self-needs and social needs not resolving on par with each other. You either ease your self-needs more than your social needs, or you ease your social needs more than your self-needs. As this limits your ability to function fully, your body warns you with some form of emotional pain. If reacting to this pain instead of addressing your psychosocial needs evenly, you tend to reinforce such imbalance. And continue to suffer in pain.

The degree of balance to imbalance correlates to the functionality array. See image here.

• Psychosocial oscillation: natural transitioning between addressing self-needs and addressing to social-needs, for sustaining psychosocial balancing. Correlates with peakfunctionality.

• Psychosocial vacillation: intense shifts between self-needs and social-needs, leading toward psychosocial imbalance. Can explain some political extremism; see psychosocial orientation. Correlates with symfunctionality.

• Psychosocial crystallization: settling into the familiar painful pattern of more severe psychosocial imbalance. Correlates with dysfunctionality.

• Psychosocial disintegration: neither self-needs nor social-needs adequately resolve, resulting in swings into violent psychosocial extremes. Correlates with misfunctionality.

psychosocial orientation

(n.) The routine or regularly situated experience of psychosocial imbalance, manifested in one of two directions (i.e., two dominate orientations):

• WIDE-focused: less resolved social needs than self-needs; tends to generalize how to ease unmet social needs while guarding one's relatively more resolved self-needs.

• DEEP-focused: less resolved self-needs than social needs; tends to generalize how to ease unmet self-needs while guarding one's relatively more resolved social needs.

See image here and here. 

When your self-needs continually resolve more than your social needs, you become predisposed toward liberal or progressive values. Politically left ideas provide outward expression for your inward psychosocial priority to ease (with public support) your less resolved social needs while guarding your more resolved self-needs from public pressures.

For example, if your self-need for unique self-expression as a sexual or religious or ethnic minority is more resolved than your social need for inclusion as one of these historically marginalized minorities, you tend to find more support from left leaning supporters who rely on public policies to protect both their negative right (what the government must not do) to freely be their unique selves, and their positive right (what the government must do) for greater social inclusion against patterns of historical discrimination.

When your social needs continually resolve more than your self-needs, you become predisposed toward conservative values. Politically right ideas provide outward expression for your inward psychosocial priority to ease (with public support) your less resolved self-needs while guarding your more resolved social needs from public pressures.

For example, if your social need for family cohesion in a local community is more resolved than your self-need for personal freedom to explore your life’s potential, you tend to find more support from right leaning supporters who rely on public policies to protect both their negative right (what the government must not do) to never infringe on their gun rights to protect their own families, and their positive right (what the government must do) provide security with a professional police force so they can be in public to explore their personal potential without fear.

You gravitate towards others who experience the same or similar unchosen priority of similar psychosocial needs as you, in contrast to others experiencing a different priority of needs. This provides the seeds for partisanship affiliation. The rational choice myth of debating which side presents the better idea for shaping public policy overlooks this dynamic of unchosen needs.

The more you can resolve one set of needs closer on par with the other set, the more open to gravitate toward the other political side. The less you can resolve one set of needs relative to the other set, the further you tend to shift to a political extreme. This illuminates why there can be tension within each political side.

See image here.

Need-response offers to replace the mutual defensiveness of conventional politics with mutual regard and social love. Instead of emphasizing each other's different yet unchosen priorities, which prioritizes easing the pain of psychosocial imbalance, need-response provides a disciplined path toward mutually resolving each other's affected psychosocial needs. The process aims to remove the pain of psychosocial imbalance by cultivating more psychosocial balancing.