From: Eddie@coyneslife.com 
  
 nonattainment of the goals 
    is compatible with survival. Consistent failure to attain goals 
    throughout life results in defeatism, low self-esteem or depression. 
  
    37. Thus, in order to avoid serious psychological problems, a human 
    being needs goals whose attainment requires effort, and he must have a 
    reasonable rate of success in attaining his goals. 
  
   SURROGATE ACTIVITIES 
  
  
  
    38. But not every leisured aristocrat becomes bored and demoralized. 
    For example, the emperor Hirohito, instead of sinking into decadent 
    hedonism, devoted himself to marine biology, a field in which he 
    became distinguished. When people do not have to exert themselves to 
    satisfy their physical needs they often set up artificial goals for 
    themselves. In many cases they then pursue these goals with the same 
    energy and emotional involvement that they otherwise would have put 
    into the search for physical necessities. Thus the aristocrats of the 
    Roman Empire had their literary pretentions; many European aristocrats 
    a few centuries ago invested tremendous time and energy in hunting, 
    though they certainly didn't need the meat; other aristocracies have 
    competed for status through elaborate displays of wealth; and a few 
    aristocrats, like Hirohito, have turned to science. 
  
    39. We use the term "surrogate activity" to designate an activity that 
    is directed toward an artificial goal that people set up for 
    themselves merely in order to have some goal to work toward, or let us 
    say, merely for the sake of the "fulfillment" that they get from 
    pursuing the goal. Here is a rule of thumb for the identification of 
    surrogate activities. Given a person who devotes much time and energy 
    to the pursuit of goal X, ask yourself this: If he had to devote most 
    of his time and energy to satisfying his biological needs, and if that 
    effort required him to use his physical and mental facilities in a 
    varied and interesting 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)