Meaning in Society

Where two or more individuals exist in a given environment, a society in the loosest form has begun.  Personal, professional, and social relationships are the foundation of this society.  Such a civilization is based upon mutually agreed upon self-benefiting rules.  Basic and often unspoken, these rules define the conditions of membership.  A society carries with it an identity.  Members individually determine that it is advantageous to adhere to these rules for their own safety, security, and collective identity.  Self centered impulses and desires are controlled through the promise of greater success tomorrow.  Once the basic needs of food and shelter are secured, the desire for social interaction, attention, achievement, and attainment arise.  All of these are driven by the need to control, and control of self is regulated by the ego.  All relationships have a common denominator and this is “you.”

Birth: From a Life of Peace and Predictability to a Life of Challenge and Change

There is a debate about when life begins.  I believe that at some point in the womb, the growing fetus becomes conscious of its surroundings: the warmth, the safety, the peace, the predictability.  At the moment of birth, however, the infant enters an environment that is hostile; it is cold, loud, intense, and bright.  The excruciating journey from the security of the mother’s womb is full of struggle and pain.  Arriving naked and confused, this new setting is harsh and demanding in comparison.  The pain of birth instantly creates dissonance between one’s current environment and past peace.  The arrival begins with the need for food and reassuring touch.  Pain leads to tears, and crying leads to relief.  To exist, strong instinctive survival behaviors take over to ensure safety and security.  Initial peace at this level is equated to the attainment of food and touch, as well as the avoidance of pain.  It is soon learned that tears and noise influence the surroundings.  Control of the hostile environment has begun. 

The Challenge of Life

Born self-centered and self-absorbed, we all react either consciously or unconsciously, to the need for survival and the desire for personal gratification.  From our first breathe of life, impulses surface as environmental situations are presented to us that challenge our very existence.  Resilience to such challenges is the key.  This primal level of survival concerns itself with self preservation and stimulation. Left completely unchecked, most of us will become self-serving, gluttonous, and lazy. 

Change a Life - Teach Resilience

As a father of a large family, I know the value of teaching children to be resilient.  Resilience is the ability to cope with stress and adversity.  Resilient individuals learn the process of ‘bouncing back’ after stressful situations or of ‘steeling oneself’ against difficult circumstances.  This process is most effectively learned through the intervention and support of family and community.