Most of us in the western world spend most of our time dancing around the top of Maslow’s Pyramid.
Let’s face it: a blog like this never exists unless I have the privilege of spending a good chunk of my time bouncing between the top tiers in that pyramid. And that’s definitely privilege. In fact, in the whirling dervish of today’s culture wars, where the term “privilege” has become a slur and call to punitive action, this is one variable on which you can check yourself.
But sometimes you’ve fallen, or been pushed, down to the bottom of the pyramid. You’re in danger. Actual danger.
When that happens, all of the highfalutin, I-wonder-what-my-life-means, deep thinking goes right out the window. It gets replaced by, “I gotta get shit done. Now.”
There are no philosophical musings. There is no deep thinking outside of the problem at hand. There is only, “How do I fix this?”
When you find yourself scrapping for the morsels on the floor, take a quick look around and see who’s under the table with you. Who else is bleary-eyed? Who else shared their just-recovered random chocolate chip with you?
These are your people. These are the one’s you go to war with. These are the ones with whom you share the reward when you get back to the top of the pyramid.
Don’t let them go.
