How do we define hunger?

November 13, 2020

Hunger- a feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat

How often do we base our decisions on the latter rather than the former? An interesting aspect in hunger is that it can encompass both a physiological and psychological cue. So when we describe our state as hunger, it deserves further exploration.

Process. I know, I repeat that word ad nauseam. That’s how important it truly is. In order to make change its imperative that we focus first on identifying. The identification is one of hunger. This is a generality. Next, we want to work to describe. In detail. In granularity. This is where we can be more aware of the drivers for our feelings.

So when describing hunger, is it a feeling of physiological hunger? Churning stomach? Pangs? Or is it psychological? A desire for something sweet or comforting?

So often we make decisions based upon hedonic desire and justify it based on biological need. This is both the beauty and the frustration of the human condition. We can create a story around anything. It helps us to drive narrative. It helps us to pass on our ideals. And it helps us to justify.

Feelings aren’t facts. The more deeply we can examine our feelings, the more we can separate them from what is factual. And that will make it so much easier to judge whether something is difficult or if we are just creating our own difficulty. Stop making it harder on yourself.

Author

Jeb Johnston

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