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GLOSSARY
- Steph Turner
- Oct 22, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Jun 11, 2024
GLOSSARY of anankelogical and need-response terms
This new social science of anankelogy and its application in the new profession of need-response brings you a new vocabulary. As a new social science, anankelogy introduces you to a new vocabulary of terms. The more we can name something affecting our needs, the better we can understand it and test assumptions around it.
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
Click on the letter above to quickly go to that letter section below.
Acknowledged Impactor [AI] (n.) [wellness campaign terminology]
A person or entity recognizing they impact another of relatively less social influence more than they are impacted by the other in a social power difference. Prior to acknowledging such potent influence, the AI is regarded as an Ascribed Impactor.
adversarialism (n.)
Opposing others largely for the sake of opposition. [Gordon Fellman]
anankelogy (n.)
The disciplined study and understanding of experiencing needs.
Ascribed Impactor [AI] (n.) [wellness campaign terminology]
A person or entity identified as likely impacting another person or entity of relatively less social influence more than they are impacted by the other in a social power difference. Once publicly recognizing such potent influence, the AI is regarded as an Acknowledged Impactor.
biostructural pain (n.)
chosen response (n.)
After an unchosen need evokes a response, the selected action to ease that need. Exists in contrast to unchosen need, which often get conflated in conflicts.
citationization (n.) - REFUNCTION
The association of any stated norms with the needs they are expected to serve. A less formal (i.e., accessible anankelogical) term for this is law-fit.
citationize (v.)
The action of associating stated norms with the needs they are expected to serve.
civic legalism (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The less formal name for the defunction of nomoscentricity, which prioritizes obedience to laws or to social norms over serving the needs for which they exist. Answered by the refunction of law-fit (among other refunctions).
coerced poor options dependences (n.) [Or CoPOD] - DEFUNCTION
Acclimating to less-than-optimal resources (i.e., alternate or substitute resource) to address needs to the point of rarely if ever considering the accessibility of optimal resources (primary resources). This plays a significant role in symfunction capture as a common gateway into dysfunction, to pain and persisting problems.
conflict orientation (n.)
The formed habit during a conflict of either staying open and learning or staying closed and defensive. The more you remain open and learn about each side's affected needs, the more likely you can resolve that conflict. The more you stay closed and defensive to avoid discomfort, the less aware you tend to be about each side's affected needs, which tends to keep the conflict going.
conflict porn (n.) - DEFUNCTION
A defunction of contending with others less with the aim to solve problems or resolve needs and more with the intent to indulge in the pleasure of winning over others and being viewed as right or to push others away in reasoned sounding ways. Features in oppo culture. See indulgent side-taking.
critical version (n.) - REFUNCTION
Original theory or philosophy of something widely accepted, developed with academic discipline that is generally more descriptive than normative, and remains open to academic peer review and constructive correction. Opposite of popgen version.
cyclic correlation (n.)
Empirical association between identifiable variables that indicates one set of changes affecting other sets of changes, which in turn affects the originally identified set of associated variables. When A changes along with B, we observe B changing with C, which we can observe changing with other pairs of associated variables, coming back around to observe a change in A. This points to what anankelogy appreciates as a reflexive correlation, in contrast to the simpler linear associations widely identified in the social sciences outside of nature-based paradigm.
For example, consider this 4-part cycle of discomfort avoidance.
The more you hate pain, the more you try to avoid pain.
The more you avoid pain, the less your pain-reported needs can resolve.
The more your needs remain unresolved, the more pain you suffer.
The more pain you passively suffer, the more you hate this pain.
Now consider this 4-part cycle of discomfort embrace.
The more you endure the natural discomfort of your unresolved needs, the more attentive you can be to more fully resolve your needs.
The more you fully resolve your needs, the more you remove cause for your pain.
The more you fully resolve your needs, the more you remove cause for your pain.
The more you remove pain by resolving needs, the more you can respect and embrace pain to report your unresolved needs.
The nature-based paradigm of academic anankelogy anticipates these cyclic associations.
defunction (n.)
Anything that diminishes one's ability to function fully, compromising their wellness. Opposite to a refunction.
disciplined discourse (n.) [wellness campaign terminology] - REFUNCTION
A refunction of accountably communicating all the relevant needs in a conflict or situation, by thoroughly challenging any distractions like loaded language, cognitive biases and distortions, formal and informal fallacies, disclosure avoidance, and mischaracterizations, and any applicable defunctions and refunctions. Participants are tasked to "flag" suspected distractions and invite agreement to pause the discussion to remove any identified distractions.
drift (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The gradual and often imperceptible change from fully resolving natural needs to only easing such needs. Consequently, optimal functioning shifts to suboptimal functioning, from peakfunction to symfunction. This tends to occur when the means to fully resolve needs persistently declines. See symfunction capture.
The shift from symfunction into dysfunction is identified more specifically as deviation. The shift from dysfunction into misfunction is identified as departure. But the simpler language of accessible anankelogy may use “drift” to cover all these shifts into lowered levels of functioning.
dynamic relating (n.) - REFUNCTION
Actively relating to the needs and experiences of others instead of relying on assumptions, expectations or impersonal rules. Counters normative alienation.
dysfunction (n.)
Level of a person's or entity's ability to function focused on relieving pain from many unresolved needs. Sits above misfunction and below symfunction.
earned legitimacy (n.) [wellness campaign terminology] - REFUNCTION
The refunction of establishing trusted responsiveness to vulnerable needs of those relatively less socially powerful, based empirically on measurable impacts on the needs of those under a powerholder's influence. E.g., positive or negative changes in health outcomes like chronic anxiety, major depression, and addictions. Posited as a higher form of legitimacy than widely accepted "ascribed legitimacy", which is prone to manipulation and privileged unresponsiveness. Applies a response reputation or "response rating" to those in positions of of power.
easement orientation (n.) - EO (abbr.)
One's relatively fixed or routine way to experience discomfort, which all stem from unresolved needs; either prioritizing relief-over-resolve or prioritizing resolve-over-relief. The Anankelogy Foundatdion addresses the challenge of improving one's EO with the NR101 Personal Need-Responder program. Other relevant terms: discomfort avoidance, discomfort embrace; feel-reactive, need-responsive, passive-aggressive pain relief, reactive pain relief.
engage (v.) - REFUNCTION
To openly explore each other's affected needs to resolve a conflict, as opposed to debating or disputing or arguing; to show intent for mutual regard making room for social love over norms privileging avoidance and opposition that tend to perpetuate pain and problems. Contrasts with the defunction of mutual defensiveness.
engaging mutuality (n.) - REFUNCTION
Responding personally to what others may need in ways that encourage reciprocal respect for one’s own needs. Counters avoidant adversarialism. See responsivism.
engaging query (n.)
A formatted invitation to consider thinking beyond an accepted assumption about something to reflect on a more specific and relevant perspective that could empirically result in resolving more needs. Invites a transition from being feel-reactive to being more need-responsive.
Format:
Opens with a question to compare two or more perspectives. E.g., "Which do you think is more likely?" or "Which would you prefer?"
Then offers a widely accepted assumption, typically a more feel-reactive belief.
"Or" to set up the illuminating comparison.
Finally, a more specific and relevant perspective is offered to challenge the earlier assumption(s), as a more need-responsive belief.
See examples in the openers to most blog entries here.
evil (n.) - DEFUNCTION
Benefiting from diminishing the functioning of others or of oneself, often correlating with a lack of sufficient awareness of the painful results. In other words, causing pathology + benefiting from it.
evoked need (n.)
A requirement previously dormant now necessary to function.
exposed need (n.)
Any core need or resource need or access need or psychosocial need easily impacted by any privileged social norm or structural problem. Compare with vulnerable need that is easily impacted by anyone in a privileged position of social influential "power" or by a power problem. Accessible anankelogy may use these terms interchangeably.
feel-reactive (adj.) - opposite of need-responsive
Putting more of an emphasis on trying to ease the discomfort of needs evoked by a situation than identifying or addressing such needs. Applies an undisciplined approach: more normative than descriptive. Insists on responding immediately to ease feelings instead of carefully describing all that is honestly there that could impact the needs prompting those feelings. Exists as the oppositive of need-responsive.
friction (n.)
Anything going against the full resolution of any need. Also referred to as resolution resistance. E.g., limited to drinking impure water; finding no one to offer encouragement while facing a personal struggle; dismissiveness of felons complaining of contributing external factors to their poor choices; politicians offering policy options that ignore the needs of many in their constituency; and war that invokes violence to serve the preferences of the winning side against the losing side.
indulgent side-taking (n. & v.) - DEFUNCTION
The defunction of choosing to support a side in some conflict against the opposing side as a way to pacify discomfort, instead of taking the disciplined approach of empathy and mutual regard to address each other’s affected needs. This shameless rush to a take side typically
overemphasizes each other's differences while disregarding common ground,
relies on impersonal arguments to avoid engaging relevant specifics,
resists addressing or resolving needs when easing discomfort of those needs,
opposes the other side’s inflexible needs that they cannot change, called moral conflation (i.e., conflates unchosen needs with chosen responses to them),
misapplies critique of moral relativism and moral neutrality,
provokes the opposed side’s defensiveness to produce more of what is opposed, and
self-righteously and arrogantly serves own conflict porn to win at the expense of others.
Although aiming to ease pain, it usually results in more pain since it overlooks the affected needs prompting that pain (i.e., discomfort avoidance). See premature opposition and oppo culture.
This contrasts with a more disciplined approach to take a side on a contested issue, which could include a negotiated agreement on a resolution path to mutually solve the issue. The key distinction is between an intent to relieve discomfort and to resolve needs. See easement orientation and conflict orientation.
See adversarialism and avoidant adversarialism.
inflexible need (n.)
Another identifier of core needs, organic needs, or natural needs. Refers to unchosen needs that automatically occur in response to a diminished ability to function. Distinguishes from flexible responses to needs, which colloquially can be called a need, but anankelogy refers to as a preference or access need.
E.g., I inflexibly need water when thirsty but if I say I need a bottle of water, I am more accurately saying that I prefer the water that my body requires to be provided in a bottle. Since water is the only or primary way to restore by body's fluid equilibrium, it is an inflexible need since I cannot choose anything else that would restore my fluid equilibrium as effectively. The bottle is a flexible "access need" since I could flexibly get the water I inflexibly need directly from a faucet or a glass.
Distinguishing between inflexible natural needs and flexible access needs can save us from many unfortunate problems. We often falsely expect others to change their inflexible needs. We would do better to focus on flexible access needs, on how we each flexibly respond to our core inflexible needs. Otherwise, you may find that what you reactively resist you tend to reflexively reinforce.
judicialism (n.) - DEFUNCTION
Reliance upon the impersonal, avoidant adversarial process to address justice needs with emphasis on assuring a fair adjudication process, but with little to no accountability to actual outcomes upon the justice needs of the vulnerable. Exists as a structural problem level of defunction. See civic legalism.
law-fit (n. & v.) - REFUNCTION
The less formal name for the refunction of citationization.
legalism (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The shorter name for the defunction of civic legalism (i.e., nomoscentricity). Corrected by the refunction of law-fit (AKA citationization).
metapain (n.)
misfunction (n.)
Lowest level of a person's or entity's ability to function focused on surviving while their most basic needs continue unresolved. Sits below dysfunction in function array.
moral conflation (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The defunction of failing to distinguish between unchosen needs and chosen responses.
E.g., The rhetorical demand "I need a bottle of water" conflates the unchosen need for water with the chosen response to get that water in a bottle, which could be accessed in other ways. While expecting another to choose to get that water in some way fair to others, expecting another to not require water naturally provokes conflicts unnecessarily. Likewise, conflating another's unchosen need for security with their defensive chosen responses to feel more secure easily invites an avoidable conflict. See adversarialism, conflict porn and indulgent side-taking.
Countered by the refunction of moral distinction that affirms unchosen needs before questioning chosen responses to such needs.
moral distinction (n.) - REFUNCTION
The refunction of distinguishing between unchosen needs and chosen responses by first affirming inflexible unchosen needs before addressing flexible chosen responses to them. Answers the defunction of moral conflation.
movement wellness campaign (n.) [wellness campaign terminology]
mutual defensiveness (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The defunction of prioritizing discomfort avoidance and normative alienation over vulnerably engaging the affected needs during a conflict with others.
mutual regard (n.) - REFUNCTION
The need-responsive refunction of attending to the needs on all sides of a conflict. In contrast to feel-reactive defunctions like indulgent side-taking, mutual defensiveness and conflict porn.
natural need (n.)
An inflexible requirement a person must have to objectively function. For example, water and interpersonal connections with others. Correlates with core needs and with some resource needs, and not with access or psychosocial needs which are relatively arbitrary.
need-response cycle (n.) - REFUNCTION
Four quadrant cycle from alert to a specific need, to assess its need experience, to audit responsiveness to it, to avow to resolve it, and back around again until all needs fully resolve. See image below.
need-response conflation (n.) - DEFUNCTION
Failing to distinguish between unchosen needs and chosen responses to them. Easily provokes defenses when unable to change what another demands. See adversarialism, avoidance culture, avoidant adversarialism, conflict porn, indulgent side-taking, mutual defensiveness and oppo culture.
need-responsive (adj.) - opposite of feel-reactive
Putting more of an emphasis on identifying and addressing the needs evoked by a situation than trying to ease the discomfort of such needs. Applies a disciplined approach: more descriptive than normative. Delays gratification of responding immediately to thoroughly describe what is honestly affecting all the relevant needs. Exists as the opposite of feel-reactive.
nomoscentricity (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The defunction of prioritizing human law or social norms over addressing or resolving the needs for which they exist to serve. Correlates with the defunction of normative alienation. Manifest in authoritarian attitudes presenting attempts to officially control behavior to avoid uncomfortably engaging (i.e., discomfort avoidance) the specific unresolved needs behind that behavior. Exists in the context of the power delusion.
Informally referred to as civic legalism or simply legalism. Corrected in need-response primarily by the refunction of citationization, or less formally referred to as law-fit.
normative alienation (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The defunction of socially privileged expectations and established social norms to not personally engage with one another, and rely instead on impersonal rules to guide behavior toward each other. Such estrangement correlates with the hyper-individualism of psychosocial imbalance.
not-that (n.)
The self-righteous generalization that refuses an uncomfortable characterization, which effectively shuts down communication and awareness of how the association could aptly fit the description, even if not to the degree ascribed. I.e., denial of awareness of how it could possibly be that, even if only on some minimal level, implies that it actually is that. See relief-generalizing. Exists as a type of discomfort avoidance.
Examples across the ideological divide:
not-anticonservative
not-antisemitic
not-censorship
not-genocidal
not-hate speech
not-Islamophobic
not-overregulated
not-racist
not-transphobic
objective evil (n.)
Anankelogy recognizes pathologizing plus benefiting from it as equivalent to evil.
harming others + benefiting from it = evil
Anyone who can be empirically measured as gaining something of value from empirically hindering the objective needs of others (and potentially of oneself) can be counted as “objective” evil. This points to three observable elements that can be captured using the tools of social science.
1. The objective needs of others.
2. Any hindrance of resolving such needs.
3. Benefiting from such hindrance.
The more one gains from their imposition on others, however ostensibly benign or obviously pernicious, the more they tend to deny its harm. Or they resort to motivated reasoning to rationalize that any negative impact was necessary for some claimed greater good.
This tends to occur only in power relations, where a more socially influential person or entity imposes their self-serving will onto the vulnerably less influential. As the less powerful can adequately function as a consequence, the blind-sighted powerful may see this as proof of their superiority. Evil then becomes something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It is generally easier to be self-righteous when no one is in place to hold one accountable. The most evil figures in history tend not to recognize themselves as evil. Nor would those currently acting as such, until now with these three measurable variables tested with the social science of anankelogy.
See evil.
objective sin (n.)
Measurably falling short of fully resolving need, which limits optimal functioning in an objective way, independent of emotion, belief or perception. Imperfection objectively limiting full wellness, whether from one's own limited actions or from other's imposing limitations, or both.
objective wickedness (n.)
Measurably obstructing resolution of need, which objectively limits full functioning, independent of emotion, belief or perception. Often with good intent, such as offering relief from the pain of unresolved needs that risks perpetuating pain by ignoring the objective needs.
The more you become attached to pain relief to the point of neglecting the underserved needs (which dutifully prompts pain to call attention to your diminished wellness), the more your resulting diminished capacity to function becomes normalized. You then risk protecting this more familiar pain to avoid the lesser known pain of processing the uncomfortable alarm of your unresolved need. The more you avoid this call to remove a threat to your capacity to function, the more this persisting threat prompts more pain for you to try to ignore.
This occurs as objectively wicked in that your objective capacity to function measurably declines, independent of any emotion, belief or perception.
oppo culture (n.) - DEFUNCTION
Short for "opposition culture", this refers to the set of written and unwritten norms that privileges or compels taking an antagonistic stance against others with whom one disagrees. It tends to displace the more noble potential for mutual regard. It functions in proximity with avoidance culture as key components to the power delusion.
See adversarialism.
organic pain (n.)
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.
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. 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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Your spring: when your less resolved social needs emerge and demand your attention.
Your summer: when your social needs dominate more than your self-needs.
Your autumn: when your less resolved self-needs emerge and demand your attention.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
psychosocial blind spot (n.) - DEFUNCTION
queued need (n.)
A prefocal need waiting in line with other prefocal needs, prior to compelling your full attention to act upon as a focal need.
reactive pain relief (n.) - DEFUNCTION
A defunction of reacting to the discomfort of unresolved needs by immediately trying to ease its discomfort with little to no thought of how ignoring the unresolved needs evoking such pain tends to persist and potentially intensify the pain ineffectually avoided. Defunction similar to passive-aggressive pain relief. Contrasts with the refunctions of strategic pain relief and discomfort embrace.
Recognized Impactee [RI] (n.) [wellness campaign terminology]
A person or entity recognized as impacted more from those in positions of power than they impact the social power relation. Prior to such powerholders acknowledging such potent influence, the RI is regarded as a Reporting Impactee.
reflexive correlation (n.)
An empirically observable association between two or more variables that seem to change each other, which can suggest a cyclic relationship between the identified variables. While correlation is not necessarily causation, social science research typically anticipates one variable (the dependent variable) to change as an apparent consequence of another preceding variable (the independent variable).
See cyclic correlation. The nature-based paradigm of academic anankelogy anticipates a string of dependent variables looping together to suggest that anything definable as an independent variable requires it to be isolated as a predecessor to a particular dependent variable in that part of the ongoing cycle. Each independent variable to a particular dependent variable can then be viewed as a dependent variable to a preceding variable in that cycle.
refunction (n.)
Anything that raises one's ability to function more fully, improving their wellness. Opposite to a defunction.
relational knowing (n. & v.) - RK (abbr.) - REFUNCTION
To directly understand something by identifying how one thing appears to go along with another, allowing you to create your own testable hypotheses. You identify for yourself the associations between two or more things affecting your needs. You observe four types of associations:
more-more: more of this, then more of that (“positive relation” as both move in same direction)
more-less: more of this, then less of that (“negative relation” as both move in opposite directions)
less-more: less of this, then more of that (“negative relation” as both move in opposite directions)
less-less: less of this, then less of that (“positive relation” as both move in same direction)
relief-gen (n.) relief-generalizing (v.) - DEFUNCTION
The defunction of oversimplifying a reaction to some need to gain broad support for relieving its pain, typically resulting in more pain since the overgeneralization overlooks the specifics necessary to fully resolve the needs. This typically results in more pain from these unresolved needs, which in turn feeds this vicious cycle of continually generalizing for relief. See popgen.
Reporting Impactee [RI] (n.) [wellness campaign terminology]
A person or entity asserting they are impacted more from those in positions of power than they impact the social power relation. Once acknowledged by the powerholder of such potent influence, the RI is regarded as a Recognized Impactee.
residual pain (n.)
resolution path (n.) [wellness campaign terminology] - REFUNCTION
Identified steps to resolve a need or needs. Once identified and announced to others for their feedback, the identified steps get appropriately adjusted to include respect for the affected needs of others. Once concluding such inputs, the process commits all involved to enable resolution of the identified natural needs on all sides, and to also confront any selfish impediment resisting resolution. Applies to the "avowal" phase of the need-response cycle in a wellness campaign.
resolution-friction (n.) - DEFUNCTION
Any resistance to fully resolving needs. Does not have to be intentional, but frequently results from an intent to avoid the pain of reported threats to functioning. This includes well-established social norms like the adversarial approach of legal systems in the judicial process and in politics. The historical way these legal structures favors a relieve-over-resolve approach tends to resist a resolve-over-relieve effort to fully resolve needs. The resulting pain typically reinforces the norms to prioritize relief over fully resolving needs that could remove cause for such pain. There is no such thing as pain apart from the body reporting a perceived theat to functioning.
response conflation (n.) - DEFUNCTION
Another name for the defunction of moral conflation.
response distinction (n.) - REFUNCTION
Another name for the refunction of moral distinction.
response reputation (n.) [wellness campaign terminology] - REFUNCTION
One's informally or officially recognized trustworthiness to respect the needs of others.
responsivism (n.)
The belief and practice that responding to the unchosen needs of others, before addressing any chosen responses to such needs, can produce more favorable results than adversarial alternatives. Counters the moral conflation inherent in avoidant adversarialism with moral distinction, as a way to more effectively address and solve social problems.
Need-response is the profession while responsivism is the activity.
Examples:
Personally Responsive to apply moral distinction
Responsive Supervision
Responsive Depolarization for depolarizing politics
Responsive Innocence for the wrongly convicted innocent
responsivist (n.)
One dedicated to applying responsivism to address social problems, as an alternative to adversarial activism that easily slips into the problem of moral conflation, which tends to perpetuate pain and problems.
rhetorical need (n.)
The widely accepted reference to a flexible or optional way to restore functioning, in contrast to anankelogical reference to an actual 'need' as
inflexible (in contrast to flexible options),
innate (in contrast to arbitrary experience),
natural or organic (in contrast to humanly constructed),
unchosen (in contrast to chosen responses).
A rhetorical need is not recognizable as objective fact, as it can be characterized as subjectively
flexible,
arbitrary,
constructed, or
chosen.
Timing provides the basic distinction. The actual need occurs first, prior to awareness. The rhetorical need then follows, in response to it.
Anankelogy recognizes how your core needs exist as objective facts independent from subjective experience. Your life's requirement to function occurs prior to your emotional responses to such needs. We colloquially refer to many of these responses as a need. "I need a pencil" for example, but a writing utensil itself can never restore me to optimal functioning. I say I need a pencil as it rhetorically symbolizes how I prefer to respond to my objective need to not forget my thoughts.
Anankelogy characterizes any rhetorical need as more of a "preference" than an actual need. If there is any flexibility for how to restore wellness, or functionality, then it is more likely an arbitrary rhetorical need and not a specific objective need in the anankelogical sense.
Examples:
"I need a 'bottle' of water." You can get water from out of a cup or another way.
Water is the actual, objective need, not the container for it.
"I need a 'map'." You can find a route in alternative ways.
Travel direction is the objective need.
"I need your 'email address'." You can contact others in different ways.
Social connection is the actual need.
"I need 'to go home'." You likely could go to other locations to satisfy this purpose.
Shelter is the objective need.
"I need to replace the oil in my car." You can function without replacing your car's oil.
Transportation security is the actual need.
"She needs my phone number." She could contact you in other ways.
Interpersonal communication is the objective need.
"My boss needs me to come in early." Arriving the usual time only affects you indirectly.
Economic security or resource security is the actual need.
We generally prefer to convey to others how we prefer they respond to our actual needs by citing such rhetorical needs. There is some safe room for change if they refuse. We generally prefer to avoid the uncomfortable vulnerability of directly expressing an actual need that we cannot change.
We easily slip into conflicts when failing to distinguish between these actual needs and our rhetorical references to them. Anankelogy identifies this problem as moral conflation. And corrects this problems with moral distinction that affirms your inflexible actual needs before questioning any flexible rhetorical responses to them. This may include character refunctions that could make it easier to recognize and acknowledge the difference.
See the four anankelogical levels of experiencing your needs.
RI client (n.) [wellness campaign terminology]
Another identifier of a campaigner. Or the person with the targeted wellness goal in a wellness campaign led by a proxy. More broadly, can apply to wellness campaign members who hold no official power over others in the campaign, typically in the TEAM phase.
self-need (n.)
A necessity for functioning on one’s own without any intrusion from others, specifically for things one can provide solely for oneself. Covers the internal side of one’s psychosocial wellbeing. Contrasts with and complements social needs.
autonomy
authenticity
independence
initiative
internalized incentive
personal freedom
personal security
privacy
resilience
self-acceptance
self-determination
self-efficacy
self-expression
self-purpose
self-responsibility
self-secure
self-sufficiency
self-worth
uniqueness
social love (n.) - REFUNCTION
The act of prioritizing a desirable response to another's need as being as important or more important than one's own need(s), at least in the moment, to set the inspiring standard for others to prioritize a desirable response to one's own needs. Need-response posits this as a vital adjunct to a conflict orientation of staying open and learning amidst conflict, to dissolve the constricting tension of staying closed and defensive amidst conflict.
social need (n.)
A necessity for functioning with coordination or with the help from others, specifically for things one cannot provide solely for oneself. Covers the external side of one’s psychosocial wellbeing. Contrasts with and complements self-needs.
affection
affirmation
appreciation
being understood
belonging
cohesion
companionship
cooperation
dependability
equal treatment
friendship
inclusion
intimacy
predictability
support
synergy
trust
strategic pain relief (n.) - REFUNCTION
A refunction of momentarily easing the intense discomfort of unresolved need with the intent to get back to facing the pain in order to resolve the need, with the long-term anticipation to remove the cause of that pain. Exists in contrast to the widespread norms of passive-aggressive pain relief and reactive pain relief. See easement orientation. See discomfort avoidance and discomfort embrace.
supportive bias (n.) - REFUNCTION
The refunction of prioritizing resolution of unchosen needs, to remove cause for cognitive distortions and improve the level of functioning. This can lower the risk of confirmation bias and other problematic biases. Anankelogy defines bias as prioritizing to ease need.
The more resolved the needs of the observer of phenomena, the less of a pull to cherry-pick what their unresolved needs would urge them to prioritize. The more your bias prioritizes the full resolution of needs, the more you will prioritize seeking the full breadth and depth of reality.
symfunction (n.)
A less-than-optimal level of functioning that prioritizes easing needs to adequate levels, or resolving needs only partially, largely with impersonal support from others. Sits lower than peakfunction but higher than dysfunction.
symfunction capture (n.) - DEFUNCTION
A 3-step process of slipping from optimal functioning (peakfunction) towards diminished functioning (dysfunction). 1) symfunction creep; 2) symfunction strain; 3) symfunction trap. Fills gap between fully well and fully sick.
symfunction creep (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The first in a 3-step process of symfunction capture. The 2nd is symfunction strain. The 3rd is symfunction trap.
symfunction strain (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The second in a 3-step process of symfunction capture. The 1st is symfunction creep. The 3rd is symfunction trap.
symfunction trap (n.) - DEFUNCTION
The last in a 3-step process of symfunction capture. The 1st is symfunction creep. The 2nd is symfunction strain.
unchosen need (n.)
Any requirement to function that automatically exists, independent of any volition. E.g., solitude, water, social acceptance, sleep, self-determination, food, comradery. This points to the principle that a natural need is an objective fact. This works as another term for an inflexible need or natural need. Contrasts with a chosen response to such a need.
unchosen priority (n.)
Any required necessity to address something essential to function that automatically exists ahead in importance of another essential matter for functioning, independent of any volition. E.g., requiring solitude now instead of social interactions or requiring sleep now instead of physical activity. This points to the principle that an organically prioritized need is an objective fact.
vulnerable need (n.)
Any core need or resource need or access need or psychosocial need easily impacted by anyone in a privileged position of social influential "power" or by a power problem. Compare with exposed need that is easily impacted by a privileged social norm or by a structural problem. Accessible anankelogy may use these terms interchangeably.
wellness campaign (n.) [wellness campaign terminology]
A specialized service offered by need-response that focuses on resolving the client's identified wellness need(s) while respecting the identified needs of others. Instead of trying to relieve pain, a wellness campaign aims to resolve needs to remove cause for pain, and reach more potential. Unlike private healthcare of psychotherapy, the client makes public their wellness goal and invites others to support it. Instead of seeking to change the individual to adjust to life as it is, a wellness campaign seeks to change relationship dynamics to be more responsive to each other's needs. This includes incentivizing the socially powerful to demonstrably be more responsive to the vulnerable needs of those they impact. Unlike legal approaches by attorneys and political activists, the intent is not to win at another's expense but to raise everyone's functioning level. Instead of conformity to interpreted laws, a wellness campaign incentivizes all involved to go beyond minimal legal requirements to resolve the needs laws exist to serve. This includes incentivizing authority figures to rely less on impersonal laws and more on earning legitimacy by enabling us all to resolve our needs.
A wellness campaign goes through four to five phases, each meant to address one of the four levels of human problems. The campaign typically concludes at the end of the final phase with the client reaching their wellness goal. Some campaigns can transition into other campaign types.
Three types of wellness campaigns currently exist; 1) case campaign to address the client's wellness need; 2) project campaign to address wellness needs of those similarly situated; and 3) movement campaign as a coalition of project campaigns.
wellness offender (n.) [wellness campaign terminology]
Anyone interfering or resisting the resolution of identified needs after provided ample opportunity to report any impact on their own needs. See resolution path. See anti-wellness.
Glossary updates
Glossary last updated: 2024-05-02
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