The Bridge of Our Mental and Physical World

What do we need to survive?  When trying to find the answer to this question I scrolled through nearly a dozen websites and was disappointed to find that every website differed from the other.  With few commonalities, such as water, food, and shelter, there appeared to be no set list of necessities for survival. Some sites would stress the importance of communication, others the significance of air, and some elaborated on the need of a companion.  Yet disappointingly there was no finalized list.

Now I should probably backtrack a little bit.  Why in the world was I searching for something so obvious?  We pretty much know what we need for survival since we do it every day.  I started the search in an attempt to answer another question altogether.  How do humans need the same things, yet want different things? This may seem like a dumb question, but it confuses me nonetheless.  If we all intake and require the same things to survive then I would assume we would also desire the same things. Think of humans as machines.  If we all input the same thing then we should output the same thing as well.

This thought is what led me to conclude that we don’t actually require the same things to survive.  Yes, we need food, water, shelter, but we also need so much more than that. Some people need more comfort.  Some need more adventure. And some need more safety. We need these things in the same sense as anyone needing water.  Do you ever get that feeling that you need to do something? You just need to text that person back, need to go on a run, need to punch a wall.  These things we do not physically need, but we definitely mentally need them.

How does a mental need compare to a physical need?  If I do not drink water for two weeks I will die, but will I also die if I do not cry in my pillow for an hour after a breakup?  I probably won’t physically die, but I may mentally die. My emotions will bubble up until I need to release them and if I do not then those emotions will get buried away and cause a sensation of emptiness, a feeling of lack of feeling.  Those emotions I once felt so strongly will backfire and mentally kill some part of how I define myself.

So, what is to be made of this?  How similar are our physical and mental requirements for survival?  I suppose I would argue that they are more alike than we first think.  This mental entity we consider to be so different than our physical one seems to be no different at all.  Both mental and physical illnesses are problems that humans endure which limits our well being. Mental and physical barriers restrict us from obtaining skills and knowledge. And physical health affects our mental health as much as our mental health affects our physical health.

This is what leads me to believe that there is an unnecessary divide between the mental and physical world.  When thinking of your body, you can divide it into separate parts. You can wiggle your toe and then lift your arm. A similar process occurs when trying to divide our mental components. You can think of what makes you angry, and what makes you sad. You can divide the happy and sad of each day, just as well as you can divide the physically relaxing and exhausting times of that same day.  Our brains are no different than any other body part. It has a purpose and does that purpose every day. It is supported by other organs, which have their own purposes, and functions as long as all the other organs do so.

I mean, if a brain was a magical thing that floated in our heads, completely self-sustainable, then sure I would say there is no correlation between these two worlds at all.  Instead, the current belief states that brain activity is fueled by the same energy our muscles are fueled by. Instead of magic thoughts floating around in our head, we have neurotransmitters that transfer emotion and memory throughout the brain to form the very thoughts that make us who we are.

I believe our mental and physical worlds are a lot closer than we think.  The more I have compared the two, the more I have realized how similar they are to one another.  How the brain truly operates is no different than any other body part. It has a function, executes the function and maintains its ability to continue functioning.  

This leaves me with a question that I ponder often.  If our mind requires certain feelings and emotions to continue existing, similar to how we require the intake of water, then can people ever change?  If we need to feel and act in certain ways, then how can someone ever change who they are? If someone needs to feel a thrill every so often, then will they ever be able to settle down with a family?  If someone needs to spend their Fridays alone will that special someone ever have a chance of enjoying going out? Can we change if we need certain things to mentally survive?

So my final question is, can our personalities change?  I believe the answer is no. I think we can change how we act on the outside, yet our core-selves never change.  For example, if a little kid is scared by a dog, then he or she will always be afraid of dogs, but as time goes on they will become more used to the small amount of fear they feel every time a dog passes by.  The fear will not decrease, but rather the ability to control the fear will increase.

I think this can pertain to any personality trait our minds currently possess. Yet, like all of these posts, I do not know for sure, and nor does anyone. This is why I encourage you to comment below or email me at [email protected] to continue this discussion.

** Interestingly, I do not agree with this belief anymore. And I have written a post since that address identity as an even changing clay-like-form that bends infinitely as we go about life. Enjoy! The Yin and Yang of Identity **