On Necessity
Oct. 25th, 2003 03:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
plural[this was mostly written during my downtime]
[I even used real pen and paper]
"Necessity is the mother of all invention"
sounds simple
but to me is an understatement
necessity is the driving force of all action
all behaviour
it is the defining motivation of all life
in the animal kingdom
all actions, all behaviours
are dictated by necessity
and we humans
even at our loftiest
remain animals
however only in humanity
does necessity breed an additional layer of complexity
in our thoughts
in our reflections on our lives
we acknowledge the influence of necessity
even if we do not realize the extent which it dictates to us
this is evident in a uniquely human trait
the need to be needed
In our lives
we have friends
pets
lovers
and ultimately children
to fulfill this need
this requirement
it is our ode to necessity
the animal does not worry about its social standing
even pack animals like wolves
which have complex social structures
status is not something which a wolf contemplates
either a wolf is an alpha wolf
or it is not
if it can dominate another wolf
and rise in stature
it will
but it doesn't waste time pondering it
it merely responds to the situation and the opportunity
the animal does not wonder why it exists
what its purpose is
it simply fulfills it or dies
for a human
especially in modern times
when we are no longer forced to spend
the majority of our energies and time
working to provide the most basic necessities
of food and shelter.
To be needed give us
cause for our existence
a reason for our struggle
a reason to stick it out another day
Even so this is a relatively new development
we saw the first signs of this
only among the rich
how many famous works of philosophy
came from the peasants of greece or rome?
those who had to work for a living focused their energies on just that
and had little time or patience for existential thought
it took the rise of a middle class to raise it into the broad scope
of human existence
and finally
the industrial revolution to give it to the poor
to allow us to turn our collective minds
from feeding and clothing ourselves
to pondering our thoughts and values
Today our most important necessity is not food or shelter
but necessity itself
So strong is our need to be needed
that should you give a man the
food and shelter
comfort and wealth
he required
but without community
without the necessity of others
he is miserable
[I even used real pen and paper]
"Necessity is the mother of all invention"
sounds simple
but to me is an understatement
necessity is the driving force of all action
all behaviour
it is the defining motivation of all life
in the animal kingdom
all actions, all behaviours
are dictated by necessity
and we humans
even at our loftiest
remain animals
however only in humanity
does necessity breed an additional layer of complexity
in our thoughts
in our reflections on our lives
we acknowledge the influence of necessity
even if we do not realize the extent which it dictates to us
this is evident in a uniquely human trait
the need to be needed
In our lives
we have friends
pets
lovers
and ultimately children
to fulfill this need
this requirement
it is our ode to necessity
the animal does not worry about its social standing
even pack animals like wolves
which have complex social structures
status is not something which a wolf contemplates
either a wolf is an alpha wolf
or it is not
if it can dominate another wolf
and rise in stature
it will
but it doesn't waste time pondering it
it merely responds to the situation and the opportunity
the animal does not wonder why it exists
what its purpose is
it simply fulfills it or dies
for a human
especially in modern times
when we are no longer forced to spend
the majority of our energies and time
working to provide the most basic necessities
of food and shelter.
To be needed give us
cause for our existence
a reason for our struggle
a reason to stick it out another day
Even so this is a relatively new development
we saw the first signs of this
only among the rich
how many famous works of philosophy
came from the peasants of greece or rome?
those who had to work for a living focused their energies on just that
and had little time or patience for existential thought
it took the rise of a middle class to raise it into the broad scope
of human existence
and finally
the industrial revolution to give it to the poor
to allow us to turn our collective minds
from feeding and clothing ourselves
to pondering our thoughts and values
Today our most important necessity is not food or shelter
but necessity itself
So strong is our need to be needed
that should you give a man the
food and shelter
comfort and wealth
he required
but without community
without the necessity of others
he is miserable
