Simon Hertnon's Upstream Philosophy Blog

The ninth need header

The ninth need

  In addition to the eight needs in my theory of universal human needs, I believe we also share an over-arching ninth need: the need to understand who we are, why we exist, how...

A theory of universal human needs header

A theory of universal human needs

  Even simpler than Abraham Maslow’s 5-tier Hierarchy of Needs, and Clayton Alderfer’s 3-part ERG Theory, my Theory of Universal Human Needs has just two types of need: survival and betterment. Why we do the things we do. Survival needs Betterment...

Cinema unanimity header

Cinema unanimity

  A strange thing happens in cinemas: unanimity. In the real world, few of us can agree on how we should live our lives; but as cinema-goers we are typically unanimous—that’s right, unanimous—about what...

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Organized for romance

If I had to describe my experience of fatherhood in a single word I would choose surprising. Sure, wonderful, exhausting, fun, and rewarding would all have made the list, but surprise is the emotion I...