Maslow !

[Srikumar <Srikumar@simexmail.com.sg>]

[This was sent in to me; but it is relevant for the grp; hence sending
it to IPI, along with a tiny comment at the bottom]

Dear Sanjeev,

I have earlier attempted to point out the important role that culture
plays in the development of various regions. I strongly believe that
economic and other principles, which are closely linked to human
behaviour, espoused by westerners needs to be inspected with the correct
cultural view point while applying to other cultures. I do agree that
most of the findings will apply but it scares me when people ignore the
local cultural aspects totally. For example you wrote about Maslow:

"Maslow showed that food is at the BOTTOM of man's needs. After food
comes security (i.e., good Police, good housing, good banking), social
(i.e., culture and family), ego (i.e., taking to each other like this
on IPI), and finally self-actualization (becoming a Stephen Hawkings)."

I do not totally agree with this concept with respect to India. We have
heard of and seen many people in India who have straight away gone for
self-actualisation ( more in a philosophical and spiritual dimension)
even when they may not have food, security or social satisfactions. IMO,
it is not just the tail end of the normal curve, though, I should agree
that with the invasion of the American culture the size of this
population will reduce.

Just a thought !

Sri

-----

Comment: I wonder whether we Indians are really and truly the
self-deceiving 'spiritual curiosities' of the world. Just because we had
a Buddha does not mean that ALL our one billion people have reached
Nirvana! I have seen poverty, Sir. Real poverty. In front of my eyes, in
my daily tours. I am sure you have seen it too. However, while sitting
in Singapore, it is convenient to ignore that and to claim that we are
somehow different and that we need not bother about food or security (of
course that is not you mean to imply, I am sure). Our women in the
villages who have to fetch water from 10 miles on their heads are NOT
doing this out of self-actualization. Period.

I know that you don't mean to denigrate the search for policies to
produce wealth for India, but let us NEVER make the fatal mistake of
thinking that Indians are in some way different from the rest of
mankind. Biological evolution has no trace of this difference. And if
you experiment on choices and preferences you will still find that the
basic assumptions on preferences still hold in most cases:

a) asymmetry (i.e., if you prefer x to y then you do not simultaneously
prefer y to x)
b) transitivity (i.e., if you prefer x to y and y to z then you prefer x
to z)
c) local non-satiation (i.e., you always prefer a LITTLE more of a good
thing)

Also:

d) bounded rationality: we have serious limitations on our knowledge and
ability to maximize perfectly.

e) opportunism: we tend (not that we ** do it **) exploit a situation if
possible, to our advantage.

These 5 things summarize a human being: a living, self-interested ball
of needs and wants.

You will be very hard pressed to show to me that there exist 1 billion
Indians who defy these five principles! There is nothing "American"
about these five things. This is not a cultural issue. It is an issue of
basic wants and needs of all peoples, everywhere.

Sanjeev


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