"There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always—do not forget this, Winston—always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever." - George Orwell, 1984
Desires are what we consider our wants. We are often driven by these desires, constantly seeking for more without appreciating what we already have. This can also be said for our needs. The lower we are on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the more we strive for the next level. This continuous pursuit of wanting more is diminishing the value of life and creating a significant gap in social standards, which is causing a divide between people
In my opinion, the importance of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs has been exaggerated. Aside from the basic physiological needs required for survival, everything else becomes a constant desire and enslavement to wanting more. This drive controls how we live, leading us to underappreciate what we already have
As we accumulate more of what we want or need, we tend to boast about our achievements. This prideful behavior leads to a lack of global compassion
After reading various philosophy and social psychology books, I have formed my own conclusions. Firstly, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs was just a thought and not a thoroughly studied concept that took economic studies into account. The physiological needs should be based on fixed parameters, but as our income increases, our lifestyle changes, and we want to brag more, which creates a gap in the parameters
Secondly, our constant need for more prevents us from moving beyond the first level of needs, as we are never satisfied
Lastly, social media and the instability of the world's economic construct dictate how we live our lives, reshuffling our needs. Social status and a lavish lifestyle have become more important than having healthy meals and a stable home.
Nineteen Eighty-Four
It is disheartening to see how the world has changed from building a better life for all to fulfilling our egos. The saying, "with great power comes great responsibility," seems to have lost its meaning in today's society
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