by Rick Baker
On Mar 23, 2012
100 years ago, the great British philosopher, James Allen1, described the process of how needs and wants develop and how they span the gap between Inaction and Action.
Here's the picture:2
INACTION
- Perception: Objects of Sensation perceived as such.
- Cogitation: Objects of Sensation considered as a source of pleasure.
- Conception: Objects of Sensation conceived as affording pleasure.
- Attraction: Objects of Sensation perceived as pleasurable in possession.
- Desire: Objects of Sensation coveted as such: i.e., desired for personal delight and pleasure
ACTION
Allen argued, "The only external tempters of man are the objects of sensation. These, however, are powerless in themselves until they are reflected in his mind as desirable objects to possess."
James Allen's 5 Stages approach to 'wants and needs' provides a blueprint for self-improvement...another way of looking at Habits and clues on how to go about trying New Things aimed at reducing Bad Habits and expanding Good Habits.3
Footnotes:
- About James Allen
- Source: 'Men and Systems', published in 1915, 3 years after James Allen's passing
- Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things