Something's rotten in the West.
Lots of doom and gloom. Many people are depressed or neurotic. Why is that?
Time to revisit #Maslow's work from the 1940s.
It starts here:
"Man is a perpetually wanting animal"
🧵1/n
But different "wants" are not interchangeable.
The human psyche needs a healthy foundation.
2/n
Everything starts with proper nourishment (real food; not junk from factories). Sufficient sleep. Sunlight.
Basic physiology.
3/n
Next: one must secure those physiological needs. Food security. Housing. Mobility. Health care.
With the current generation of incompetent politicians and an eroding welfare state, no longer to be taken for granted.
4/n
Followed by: a need to belong, which is another layer of security. But it's more than that: it's the need for proper friendships, with real humans. Not a conversation with some AI engine, or chatting to anonymous souls dwelling in the Metaverse.
5/n
Next up: the need for self-esteem. Once we're part of a community, we like to stand out somewhat and receive appreciation. It's a search for meaning. But likes on Twitter or Instagram will not do the trick.
6/n
If all those basic needs are more or less met, there is room for self development. Maslow thinks this is a small minority of the population. Maybe some 10%.
7/n
People who have satisfied their basic needs are robust and healthy individuals. They tend to be defenders of truth, even if that makes their life more difficult.
8/n
The question is: could it be that the current living conditions in the West are no longer favourable for healthy human development?
And what should those conditions be?
9/n
Finally: did we end up with an inverted pyramid?
Thwarted needs at the top, overly magnified due to increasing frustration in a toxic social setting. While neglecting the foundations that are now eroding because they have been taken for granted for way too long...
10/n
What can we conclude from all this? If Maslow is correct, it would mean that there are five levers that can be used to interfere with "human motivation", opening up possibilities for social engineering.
If one is ill-intentioned, this could mean:
11/n
But, the inverse is also possible. To get a person (or society) back on track, we need to get the priorities right. Let's start by finding and electing the few current politicians who understand this.
12/n
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