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Summary of PSP Theory and Beliefs

A central idea of PSP is that everyone has similar, but not equal, emotional needs. The theory is that if we start to ask what each person's emotional needs are, including our own, we start to see what we all have in common. This leads to understanding, acceptance, understandig and unity, which all lead to peace.

The philosophy of Pretty Simple Peace is based on a set of assumptions, beliefs and hypotheses listed below.

It feels good to help people.

Empathy is natural. Babies are born with empathy - (Mirror neurons research supports this)

It is better to help someone than punish them.

People are more likely to listen to you after they feel understood.

It is better to care about people than control them.

People feel cared about when their feelings are valued.

When people feel cared about by those around them they will take care of themselves, of others and of their environments.

People are more cooperative when they feel cared about.

Cooperation is preferable to coercion.

True voluntary cooperation is better than threats, punishments or even rewards.

All humans share basic physical and emotional/psychological needs.

Everyone has similar, but not equal, emotional needs.

Our feelings represent the degree to which our needs are met or unmet.

We can use our feelings and honest expressions of our emotions to communicate our needs and also to set healthy boundaries or limits.

We each are the best judges of what we need.

Many, if not most, conflicts are about emotional or psychological needs.

The easiest, fastest, most efficient and effective way of preventing and resolving conflicts, restoring connections and healing from conflicts - in other words living in peace and harmony - is through talking about feelings and needs, especially emotional needs.

Many, but not all, people are able to put numbers on their feelings.

These numbers give relatively precise estimates of the levels to which someone feels something. In other words, they are indicators of how well our emotional needs are being met, either in general, or at any particular moment.

It seems to be easier for children and teenagers to use numbers with their feelings.

We are all driven by our needs. In other words, we do everything to try to fill some need.

We have emotional needs as well as physical needs.

Many personal and social problems are caused by unsatisfied emotional needs.

We feel good when our needs are met. We become aggressive, violent, depressed or self-destructive when our needs are not met.

When we feel good we are more cooperative, more creative, more open to learning and new ideas.

More specifics here

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A discussion of emotional needs

1) Having a hypothesis and then testing it to see if it is valid.

2) Using continuous research and experimentation to get closer and closer to an accurate description of reality.

It is more helpful to talk about needs than rights.

It is helpful to avoid using words like deserve, should, duty, moral, right, wrong