Target had to stop doing a survey of its customers this week after many people found the questions objectionable.

The giant, Minnesota-based retailer e-mailed surveys to customers that asked respondents to rate their level of agreement, from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree,” with statements such as:

“My partner is likely to reject me at some point unless I am better (smarter, better looking, etc.) than any other potential mate.”

“I could disappear from the face of the Earth and no one would notice.”

“I deserve to be loved and respected.”

Companies that do marketing research say that such psychological profiles are common these days as businesses in the cut-throat retailing trade jockey for the slightest edge over their competition.

From the questions, it appears the profile of the perfect shopper would be a lonely, insecure, self-loathing person who can be convinced that their only hope for any sense of esteem is to buy a new outfit and maybe a nice Feng Shui candle set.

It makes sense, I guess. Most of what we’re sold isn’t what we need. Marketers need to convince us of the latest “must have” item that we probably didn’t even know existed, much less that we have to have it. They play on our self-doubts, subtly letting us know we’d better plop down $29.95 for an Easter serving platter or we will end up being total losers, living in a basement apartment, eating cold pizza alone.

Which is why I’m a retailer’s worst nightmare. Being a journalist, I’m egotistical and cocky. I not only don’t worry about people liking me — I’m, in fact, happier if they don’t. So buying nice clothes and the latest home accents don’t interest me.

Everyone else is buying retro shirts and bell-bottom pants styled after the 1970s. My closet is filled with the real stuff from the ’70s.

I won’t even tell you about the underwear.

Still, I admire them — the marketers and profilers — who have honed their research to amazing detail.

When you go to your favorite store, and use your credit card or store card, and they swipe each of your purchases across the scanner, all the information is instantly filed into your personal profile account for future use by the store and it’s partners. You buy Gillette shave cream and soon a free shaver and complimentary blade arrive in your mail.

Sweet. Until you need to go back to the store to buy more of the special “Super Quatro” blades that will run you just less than your mortgage payment.

Technology has, of course, made the marketers’ jobs easier.