Which is most essential to human being?

[BurtWorm]

[magellan]

1. Other: Freedom

To make individual choices on all the other things.

[porphyrian]

10. Sadly, I don't believe that's true for everyone.

In fact, I would argue that most people are scared shitless of actually being free. Without laws, religion, society, etc. telling them what to do, most people would be unable to function at all. When most people think "freedom," it only means to behave in the manner that they find acceptable and/or are accustomed to. If people really needed freedom, there wouldn't be so many people living so long oppressed by others. If people really wanted freedom, they would not accept the rule of the current administration.

[magellan]

14. Isn't that what I said?

Freedom is crucial to being ABLE to choose one's faith (or not), follow social mores or explore individuality, denounce oppressors or bootlick them, etc. Some don't have that freedom. We do...but it's in terrible jeopardy.

[porphyrian]

16. The initial question was what is most essential.

I'm saying that freedom isn't.

[magellan]

20. Yes, I read the poll question

If you're ever detained for speaking your mind and find yourself dependent on someone else for everything from toilet paper to your next meal, perhaps you'll reconsider.

[porphyrian]

21. I'm glad you can accept dissenting opinions so gracefully.

:eyes:

Since you chose to get defensive when I disagreed with you rather than trying to grasp the meaning of what I said, I'll use your most recent example to re-make my point. Many, if not most, people ARE dependent on someone else for everything from toilet paper to their next meal, yourself probably included, and many, if not most, people would be too terrified of actual freedom to have it any other way. Thus, it is not essential, by definition. Thus my disagreement with your assertion. Get it now?

[magellan]

23. How you choose to read me is your freedom and privilege

People might be terrified of actual freedom -- they might think they can't live without their supermarket, for instance -- but they underestimate themselves. As a species humans are clever, resilient creatures. Given the freedom and impetus, we managed to replace leaves with toilet paper and began trading goods for food instead of growing/hunting it ourselves. The freedom to form social groups, as is our nature, gave us the means to join with like-minded individuals and overcome countless other problems along the way.

Most people ARE followers of some kind or another. But they usually choose who/what to follow themselves...and again, no matter how misguided they are, freedom permits them to make that choice.

Peace.

[WindRavenX]

2. I voted other

I believe that the capibility to be at peace with yourself and the world is most important.

How one gets there can be different from person to person-- for some it can be love, for some it can be wisdom, for others it may be spirituality...

But I think there's no universal answer.

[Yollam]

3. Food and water.

Try going without them for any amount of time and see how you would sell any of the other things for a nickel to get some.

[meganmonkey]

6. Yep - that's what I was going to say

Let's start there and move on once everyone in the US (at the very least, I would say the whole world) have access to healthy food and clean water.

:thumbsup:

[BurtWorm]

7. Damn, that's a good answer!

:thumbsup:

[Hosnon]

8. Ask a starving person what s/he thinks about Constitutional Theory and

s/he will say:

"What? I'm starving...do you have any bread for me?"

So yes...food and water.

[BurtWorm]

9. I've added it to the poll

and voted for it. :patriot:

[Beam Me Up]

4. What do you mean by "most essential"? n/t

[TahitiNut]

15. For me, that which is most ESSENTIALLY HUMAN is 'Meaning' ...

... (borrowing from Viktor Frankl). In surrendering 'meaning' in pursuit of 'deficiency needs' (lower on Maslow's Hierarchy) we also surrender that which is the very essence of being human. Happiness. It is a choice.

[BurtWorm]

19. I'm leaving that open to interpretation.

My interpretation: Most necessary or fundamental. (I bet that helps a lot. ;) )

[Beam Me Up]

25. Ok, I'll say it: LOVE.

I don't know what love is and obviously I don't only mean erotic love, although that is very important. For me "love" has a spiritual dimension as well as being one of the higher qualities that croses the border into wisdom--philosophy being the love of which, originally.

We NEED love just as much as we need food, clothing and shelter. When we don't get love we suffer. We may cover up this suffering and hide it, even from ourselves, but it leaves us weakened and somehow less human, less able to experience the needs and suffering of others.

[TahitiNut]

5. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

I think one could argue that only towards the tip of the pyramid are those needs that're unique needs of humans, particularly Free People. Maslow characterized the bottommost four needs areas as 'deficiency needs' or 'D-needs' where motivation of a healthy individual was driven only when the need was unmet - insufficient for survival. When needs were met (sufficient), the motivational drives declines dramatically. (I think that's why right-wingers habitually threaten the lowest needs areas to rouse the rabble - it's a way of short-circuiting moral/ethical reasoning.)





Here's another way of viewing them ...

[annabanana]

11. Liberty... you know, those rights that are going bye-bye

as we speak...

[pitohui]

12. oxygen

you can't really last long w.out it

after that food, shelter, water

there's no freedom for the anorexic trapped in her compulsion, no freedom for the sharecropper earning pennies a day for picking tomatoes either, the body comes first whether we like it or not

[undergroundpanther]

13. to not be tormented or tortured

To feel they may endure,that they can trust someone who will not betray,or abuse them and the hope of having some control over who they are, a way to"grok" thier environment yo get thier needs met ,and a way to assert thier own capability to change things even if it's in thier own head if the world fails them.

This world is an insane place because too many morally depraved people are given too much power by people scared of thier own power and the responsobity it take to be the moral authority in your own life..

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

17. To be what we really are

in essence. The purpose of life is that quest. For those who have glimpsed it, they know Paradise on Earth.

[DiverDave]

18. Compassion.

for those less then you.
Sadly missing in this day and age.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Just like any other species. Food, shelter, water.

But, we like to delude ourselves we are above all that with "higher yearnings" until we have to do without any of the essentials.

[meisje]

24. gravity is helpful

[Ron Green]

26. Gotta go with the Spiritual. It's what sets us apart from the other

animals; the search for the True Self, that which is shared among all creatures.