Modern Necessities: Thriving not just surviving

As humans, we all have basic necessities that we need to survive in this world. These necessities include food, water, shelter, and clothing.

Food is essential because it provides our bodies with the necessary nutrients and energy we need to function properly. A balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats is important for maintaining good health. Water is also vital for our survival. Our bodies are made up of about 60-70% water, and we need to replenish it regularly to stay hydrated. Drinking enough water helps to regulate body temperature, transport nutrients, and flush out waste. Shelter provides us with protection from the elements and a safe place to rest. It can take many forms, from a simple tent to a large house, depending on our needs and resources. Clothing serves both practical and cultural purposes. It protects us from the elements, provides warmth, and helps us express our personal style.

In addition to these basic necessities, humans also require social interaction, education, healthcare, and a sense of purpose to thrive. These needs may vary depending on individual circumstances and cultural background, but they are all important for our overall well-being.

So why do humans have the urge to buy things they don’t need? It is easy to say that all anyone needs is the things mentioned above, but it is much harder to practice. Why?

As mentioned above after the basic necesities, humans need additional resources to not just survive or live in this world but to thrive in this world. After all, what does it mean to survive if you don’t get the chance to thrive?

Modern necessities are much different than even some of our recent ancestors. Sure, they did not need the internet, but they were also not living in a world run on the internet. It is hard to compare what even your parents or grandparents did to survive and even thrive in their times to the world today because the world evolves quickly every single day, and the means that are needed to survive have changed for our recent generations.

Below I will explore some modern “needs” that the vast majority of humans living in a 1st world country requires to survive and/or thrive in this day. (Note: This obviously does not include the small but growing minority of people that were able to escape the system and live off the grid / on the land. More information on that here.)

What are some modern “necessities” that humans need to live and thrive? Here are some examples in no particular order and tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint when using them:

Electricity

Since the early to mid 1900s, electricity has been available to most people in developed countries all over the world. It has become a way of life—whether that is a good thing or bad thing is up for debate. Many people all over the world were raised and taught only how to survive by using electricity to:

cook food
heat/cool their homes
light their homes

We are now able to purchase clean energy cars that are powered by electricity. Overall, electricity has made the lives of billions of people more comfortable and secure over the past several decades.

There are still approximately 940 million people in the world that do not have access to electricity.

What can you do?

When using electricity at your own home, be sure to not take it for granted. Don’t leave lights on that are not being used. Use eco-friendly appliances with low to no emissions. Petition leaders to provide worldwide access to electricity. Petition leaders to provide free and clean energy for electricity.

Water Services / Plumbing

Water and plumbing services has become a modern necessity by providing humans with:

food preparation
personal hygiene
waste removal
household tasks/chores

If water is not treated, humans are at risk for harmful bacterias, viruses, parasites, and chemicals that can cause serious health issues or death. While there are ways to treat water (such as boiling), the retrieval of water can be detrimental for modern life and work. The majority of humans that were raised with running clean water services in their homes could not survive without these services due to lacking the skills and knowledge to do so.

Access to clean water is a fundamental human right, but there are so many people in the world that do not have access. In 2017, WHO and UNICEF estimate that approximately 2.2 billion people in the world do not have safe drinking water readily available. This is getting better in recent years with up to 90% of the population having access to water.

What can you do?

When using water at your own home, be sure to not take it for granted. Don’t leave the water running for very long if it is not being used. Petition leaders to provide worldwide access to water. Petition leaders to provide free and clean energy for water.

Internet

Many people may scoff at this, but hear me out. I know that on an anthropological level, we as humans could survive and even thrive without internet. Prehaps it would be even better that way, but if we are looking at the world as it is right now, the internet is a necessity for a comfortable and thriving life in 1st world countries.

The internet provides an array of modern solutions to people so they can thrive including:

social interaction (preferably with loved ones and not trolls)
finance management
information (just be careful and check multiple sources)
job search
remote work / work-life balance
entertainment

If the internet all over the world went out today, it would be a difficult transition but I think possible. But if one individual was not able to have the internet, that could make their life full of hardships. It would be harder to thrive.

What can you do?

Limit your internet usage. Set time aside each day to not be on the internet. Focus on crafts, cooking, nature, and other activities in the “real world.” Use the internet to your advantage—to better your life and make it easier to manage. Don’t let the internet control you. You control the internet in your life. Don’t have internet? Check out your local library! Most libraries offer free internet and computers.

Transportation

Transportation is a necessity to the majority of adults in the modern world. Over the past century (or more!), it has become a necessity to leave to get practically anything you need—food, clothes, or money.

Roughly 80% of works would not be able to show up and perform their jobs to receive money to support themselves or their families without transportation. Whether they commute in their car, via carpool, public bus, or subway, people need to be able to get to work and stores to provide for themselves.

We are finally circling back into a world (slowly due to some generations not letting the workplace evolve—check out my article) where we can work from home and have our products (like food and hygiene) brought right to us! It was only in 2020 (thanks COVID, smh) that even 32% of the U.S. workers were able to work from home. It is predicted that by 2025, 70% of the workforce will be working remotely. But even if we worked from home and got everything delivered, transportation is still needed. Someone is delivering those packages in some sort of transportation. You still may need to leave to go volunteer or participate in other organizations.

What can you do?

If you live in a walkable or bikable distance to your destination, make the healthy and eco-friendly choice to walk or bike. Is there someone you can ride with to your destination? Setup a carpool! Is public transportation available? Don’t clog the roads with more cars and emissions. It could even save you commuting costs. Do you have the decision-making power to let your employees work from home? If all they are doing it sitting in an office on a computer, do the environment and your employees a favor and switch to remote work.

Cell Phone

Another scoff from someone I am sure, but hear me out again! Cell phones have become an intrical part of modern life. Not only has phone communication been around since the late 1800s, but since the 1950s it has become as a significant means of communication. It provides us with ways to keep in touch with friends and family. It can even be life-saving in the event of an emergency. Since the early 2000s, texting and videocalling has been an efficient and effective form of keeping up with loved ones and not missing important events. When people have a connection to other people that they love, they will strive to thrive—not just survive (I don’t know why it all rhymes lol).

Modern solutions provided by cell phones include:

telecommunications
not missing events
not missing job interviews
physical security
emergency actions

What can you do?

Don’t allow your cell phone to run your life. In a world where most cell phone holders have smart phones, it is even easier to get sucked in to a world that is not real. It could cause depression and hopelessness. It can make you compare yourself to everyone else’s social media perfect life that is probably not a reality for even them. Use cell phones to your advantage to get the most out of life! The best way to do that is to manage your own time on these devices. Don’t upgrade your phone each year. It is wasteful, costly, and bad for your carbon footprint. Wait until your phone no longer works or the software is no longer compatible, then recycle it with the manufacturer.

But why do we buy so much?

We went over basic needs, and we went over modern “needs.” None of this really answers the original questions: Why do humans buy things that they don’t need in some capacity?

In my opinion, it is typically a coping mechanism. With the face-paced world that we are living in, it is easy to lose sight of what we are—fragments of the universe having a human experience on a floating rock in space. When I put my thoughts into that frame of mind, life seems much simpler than we as society makes it.

It is not any fault of one particular person. It is how society has evolved (rapidly) in the past century or so. Many humans (not all unfortunately) have all of their basic needs met (both actual and modern). But with this, we have become disconnected to the world that we live in. We have become separate from nature—which is something that no other living thing has done (except maybe dogs and cats—which can be led back to humanity).

According the Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs, once the needs are met from the base of the pyramid and up, you will get to self-actualization. This is a basic need of humanity to be fulfilld in life. It is not a want. It is more needed than even electricity, in my opinion.

Many people have reached most of their needs except self-actualization. Some people are even teetering along the belonging and self-esteem blocks.

So why do people buy things they don’t need? They are coping with this need not being met through other means—regardless of their income, means, or what it does to the next generation. Many products are so cheaply made that it won’t last long, will end up in a landfill, and not cause any real human need to be met. It can actually leave people feeling more depressed and unfulfilled. Trust me. I know from experience. Like so many other people, especially in the United States, our needs are not met in the way for us to be self-actualized—so we cope. And it is destructive in many ways.

For many of us, we are miserable at our meaningless jobs and with those are required to be away from our families/homes for 40+ hours a week. We see the greed and violence and the mockery—so we cope. We watch our personal development sent to the back burner just to meet our needs for food and shelter. It can be a very hard reality to face—so we cope.

Buying things does not have to be the only coping mechanism. Try giving back to your local community through volunteer work, donating your resources to non-profits making a difference, or help out a friend in need. These are the thing that will help you cope and actually get through the hardships of the world.

What can you do if you are not self-actualized?

Gratitude for what you do have is a great starting point for changing your mind set. It is not easy and you may have to fake it for a while, but it is the key, in my experience.

Be gentle with yourself. Many of the ways that we live and endure our lives were established before you were even born. Before your parents even. It is not an excuse to not change. For the next generations and hope for Planet Earth, lifestyles changes are needed. It is not easy, though. Take it in steps. Forgive yourself when you fail and learn from it. Use what you learn next time for your decisions.

You may experience self-actualization one day and be set back the next. Self-actualization is not a destination with an ending. It is continuous—forever. The more you expand your consciousness, the more you will reach different levels of self-actualization.

Trust your gut. Ask yourself what your personal needs are—be honest and listen. Your needs may vary from your neighbors—that is okay and even expected. We are all having a different human experience on Earth.
If there is a trend, ask yourself if you really like it or only like it because it is a trend. If it went out of style tomorrow, would you continue to use and love it in your life? That is one of the best ways to keep me from buying all of the trendy products I don’t need or even want. Most of it is only bought because other people bought it. Think for yourself. And if you do like a trendy product (like for real), then buy it and use it as much as you can. For example, there is nothing wrong with buying a trendy reusuable cup—as long as your actually like it and actually intend to use it (bonus points if you use to to avoid using single use plastic). But if you change cups just because everyone else found the latest and greatest, then you may want to rethink what need is not being met that makes you want to follow this trend.