Society

As social creatures we are impacted by our communities, human and otherwise. Even those living far outside the confines of human civilization are impacted by communities of other creatures and figures. It is a relational world that we live in, and we are a relational contingency. We are impacted by the actions and ideas that swirl around us, both as fuel and hindrance. The rules and messages of human society govern our sense of being whether we want it to or not. And, though we are taught to speak of it’s value, but also taught to think of it as tangential and decorative, our place within relationship and our sense of belonging are just as critical to our survival and wellbeing as our need for water and air. If you learn nothing else from me, learn this: it is valid to desire acceptance. It is not weak or shameful or secondary. It is valid to feel pain when we don’t have acceptance, or when we don’t interaction. It is not only normal to want to be loved, it is evolutionarily at the epicenter of what we are as a species, and anyone who has ever said, “I don’t care what anyone thinks” was either extremely mentally ill, or saying it for the express purpose of trying to appear in an acceptable way to other people. It’s unhealthy to give people your power in order to get this acceptance. But wanting it and caring about are just as healthy and reasonable as any other thirst or hunger we experience as living, needing, creatures. So let’s talk about our need for each other and the messages of human society by which we have been influenced.