Applied Group Pressure

The basics have become a little complicated. Today, we feel we need food, clothing, shelter, transportation, education, income, and entertainment. Let’s explore each of these basic needs.

Food is easy enough - but do we select organic, non-fat, FDA approved, range feed, or do we go vegetarian? What about those addictive additives we have heard about that cause us to want more of certain foods? Within the food basic need is the whole area of health care and wellness, much of which is centered on prescription drugs and tastes. From health foods to health fads, we love to eat and then have to work to take off the excess weight. You deserve a break today.

Clothing has got to be easier - but the fashion industry changes things so fast that it is hard to keep up, but we really need to be in style because image is increasingly the determinant for so much of what we do - including how we relate to others and make a living. After all, corporate managers have to look the part, don’t they? Whatever happened to mere modesty? As we have heard: clothes make the man.

Shelter has become a major expense for everyone. Even if our home is paid for we will still pay more in taxes and insurance than most people used to pay for rent alone. The home maintenance stores are booming and so is the re-financing industry. Give me shelter.

Transportation is a must even in our Internet world, because most people still have to commute to work and the grocery. The individual car is a major part of the American Dream - ask any teenager. The car is marketed as a direct reflection of our personhood - a sort of outer garment - that is supposed to tell others about us before we even step out the door. We are driven.

Education is seen as the centerpiece of what drives everything from income level to the correct understanding of politics. Of course it is now for a lifetime. Online courses make it easier to accomplish and states offer virtual high schools as well as colleges. The lenders are ready to set up student loans and the textbook industry makes sure we have the latest information - every semester. Included in the education basic need is a subcategory called self-help which today includes much of what was once called religion. With such diverse tags as new age, spirituality and the major world religions, we have a huge variety to select from. We can flip to the most popular inspirational network, Trinity Broadcasting Network, for a quick look at some Christian trends. Be all you can be.

Income is critical in a consumer driven culture and so we must have a good education in order to obtain a good income in order to enjoy the other basic needs of the culture. Placement agencies help as do the networks of friends and coworkers we develop. A growing number of people are seeking to work from home and an entire subculture has developed catering to this strong desire. Quality is job one.

Entertainment is toted as well-deserved since we work hard for the other basic needs and we really do need to unwind. From sports to media to travel to hobbies, we seem compelled to fill up every waking hour with activity. What ever happened to a simple day of rest - a Sabbath? Instead we hear the refrain: Just do it.

Are these the real basic needs for us? When we read this list of basic needs, does it even occur to us that they might be misplaced wants? Are we really aiming at the right targets? Who set up these targets anyway and what did they have in mind when they did? Are we what we possess or are we who we are in thought, word, and deed? These are questions worth asking as we rush through each day to gain more. What ever happened to such basic needs as love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control? Deep down we know that character counts.

Corporate is defined as “group” and torque is defined as “applied pressure” and so we might be called a Corporate Torque culture: defined as “group applied pressure.” Did you really think peer pressure ended in high school? It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.