The Philosophy of Sustainability: Element 3 - Need

This is Part 3 of a 6-part series wherein elements of a philosophy of sustainability are suggested.

3.      Need

‘The sage never tries to store things up.
The more he does for others, the more he has.
The more he gives to others, the greater his abundance.’

Tao Te Ching 81 – Lao Tzu

The body has basic physiological needs:  clean air, clean water, healthy food, sleep, shelter and so on.  When those needs are not met, consequences can range from acute discomfort (short-term thirst and hunger pangs), to chronic illness (cancer caused by ingestion of harmful chemicals), to death.   All living things have basic physiological needs.

Satisfaction of physiological needs promotes individual and community health, something we can all agree is good.  When others are in need, compassionate people provide aid.  Whether by physical assistance, emotional support, or spiritual energy, caring people help others.  True, some people are needy by no fault of anyone but themselves (they’ve wasted resources, not planned ahead, etc.)  Others may have had bad luck.  Whatever the reason, if someone is truly in need and one has more than one needs, sharing is the right thing to do.

Accumulating more than is needed can lead to strife and selfishness.  Greed connotes an unnatural hunger.  Greed is an imbalance that causes one to seek after and possess more than what is needed.  A greedy individual has little concern for his fellows while doing whatever he can to have more, have the best, or have it all.  When one hoards all the goodies and others have none, conflict arises.  When we allow greed to control our behavior we take on an unhealthy preoccupation – an obsession.

As Maslow pointed out, once our physiological needs are met and we experience security and love, our needs can be directed toward self-esteem.  We strive to master skills and enjoy the recognition and praise of our peers.  Having satisfied that need, we are prepared to reach our fullest potential – both individually and in cooperation with others.