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On Our Adapting Hierarchy of Needs and Not Having Enough
American psychologist Abraham Maslow created a theory of psychological health known as the Hierarchy of Needs.
The premise as I understand it to be, is that we all have basic human requirements that must be met. Once met, we move up to achieve things giving us greater meaning and achievement, until the point at the top of the pyramid — Self-Actualization. There is a higher purpose to everything, and we must seek to fulfill it.
Most of the developed world has the bottom two stages met. Physiological, and Safety, which makes up our “Basic Needs.” Belongingness is rather tricky to calculate, as there are many ways to categorize “intimate relationships,” and “friends.” Is it quality? Quantity? Both? Do you feel society accepts you? Do you feel like you are heard? This part of the hierarchy can be a place of very deep suffering if going unmet. We are social beings. We require connection.
However, it is not my purpose to touch on this area. Rather, to shed a light on something we often gloss over.
We are living in one of the safest times in history, (the media would have you believe otherwise), and are nearing…
