Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a commonly used psychological theory in Western society. The theory states that humans are social beings and have evolved on earth to be satisfied through the accumulation of various needs over their lifetime. Humans developed from a hunting and gathering tribe to a more sedentary culture. Maslow’s needs therefore relate to our need for social interaction and the need to learn about the world and our place in it. The need for security, affiliation, and power are all considered to be behind human behavior and as such form the foundations of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is intended to help us understand our behavior and how we might change it if we were more aware of what our needs were and where they were. These needs are not independent.

• In fact, they are derived from several related needs that must be fulfilled in order for us to survive and thrive.
• These include the basic need for food, the need for clothing and shelter, the need for social interaction and the need for a group to which we belong.
• The larger component that is often overlooked or even taken for granted, however, is the need for love, a feeling of deep connection with another human being, and emotional bonding.

The need for emotional bond is at the root of all the disorders that modern society is experiencing. Without the basic needs, humans would become prone to depression and suicide. Because humans are social creatures, without the ability to create bonds and form bonds, society would quickly wither and die. However, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can help us realize that those needs are closely related to our overall sense of psychological health.

If we find ourselves feeling depressed because we feel we have been taken advantage of, then we are suffering from an environmental health disorder. Those who take advantage of others will find themselves feeling depressed, as will those who are unable to care for themselves or for others. Environmental health disorders also include physical health, but unlike the Maslow hierarchy, physical health is directly dependent on our ability to adapt to our ecological niche. In other words, if we are ill-equipped to survive the specific ecological niche we find ourselves in, then we will suffer both mental and physical ailments.

So, in this regard, we can see that the two components of the hierarchy – the need for security and the need for love – are actually interdependent. We cannot survive long term in a society that does not provide adequate security. On the other hand, we cannot fulfill our emotional and spiritual needs without developing healthy relationships. Only when we recognize these two interrelated needs can we begin to create a healthy ecology.

In order to create ecological health, we must be willing to develop healthy relationships. This means developing close, personal relationships with those members of our lives who are closest to us. If we do this, then we will find that the relationship between our emotions and our physical health will deepen. Emotional health, in turn, can alleviate the symptoms of poor ecological health. As we can see, the relationship between our emotional well-being and our health is intimately related to the ecological health of our society.