I was reading an article on Digg about how to survive moving to NY, and I came across the Maslow pyramid. Basically, it's a pyramid of needs, where the organism tries to fulfill the lower needs first. From bottom to top:

1. Physiological needs: breathing, food, water, sleep, etc...
2. Safety needs: security, stability, protection, freedom from fear, need for structure, etc...
3. Belongingness and love needs: need for affectionate relationships, need for a place within a group or family, etc...
4. Esteem needs: desire for achievement, confidence, independence, freedom, etc...; desire for reputation, prestige, attention, dignity, appreciation, etc...
5. Self-actualization needs: need to do what the individual is suited for (need to be true to one's nature)
6. The desire to know and understand
7. Aesthetic needs

I'm definitely mucking around somewhere in the third or fourth level, but it was interesting to think about this idea that people fulfill their basic needs first, and then recenter their life around the next "need". Some people I know seem to be perfectly happy in the friendships they have, so they should be on level four. But they want to sit at home and vegetate all day. I want to scream out at them, "Don't you ever want to do anything? Doesn't it make you feel good to accomplish anything?" Maybe they haven't recentered their life around the fourth level? Maybe they're not truely satisfied with the third level?

Cuteness: http://thrillingwonder.blogspot.com/2007/01/real-life-bambi-thumper.html