The Need For Belonging

"Maslow’s hierarchy and the layer underneath"

Maslow had it wrong. Food shelter water are on the bottom. But infants can’t get those things on their own. They need a committed caring adult to consistently provide them. So SOCIAL NEEDS must be the very bottom of the pyramid. According to Maslow it’s the 3rd tier up – as if it’s optional, or just nice. For every primary need on the bottom of the pyramid there is a corresponding Pain. Hunger, thirst, and the need for shelter is to rest and recover from pain that would otherwise occur.

“Food, water, and shelter are not the most basic needs for an infant. Instead, being socially connect and cared for is paramount. Without social support, infants will never survive to become adults who can provide for themselves. Being socially connected is a need with a capital N.”

“Real pain (that is, physical pain) serves an essential role in our survival. For every need with a capital N there is a corresponding physical pain with a capital P that we feel when the need is not being met. A lack of food leads to thirst, which when unquenched can be similarly painful and motivating.”

Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect by Matthew D. Lieberman:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17237217-social#:~:text=In%20Social%2C%20renowned%20psychologist%20Matthew,about%20the%20social%20world%20%E2%80%93%20oth


Welcome to Season 2 of the Arkansas A.W.A.R.E. podcast series.

Join Betsy Kindall, Nicole Fairchild, and Stacy Moore as they discuss issues related to mental health in education. Their conversations are witty and relate-able, simultaneously shedding light on issues that can sometimes be hard to confront or understand. These episodes are chunked into small bites and packed with information that would be helpful to educators, parents, children.....anyone! We want to help make everyone more A.W.A.R.E.!

Project A.W.A.R.E. is a grant program funded by S.A.M.H.S.A. (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). The Sandy Hook school shooting happened in December of 2012. In 2013 the White House initiative "NOW IS THE TIME" came out with 2 key goals:

1. Make schools safer and more nurturing.

2. Increase access to mental health services.

The "NOW IS THE TIME" initiative laid the foundation for federal grants like A.W.A.R.E. Arkansas applied for and received the second round of funding for A.W.A.R.E. in October of 2018. Our project is dedicated to Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education.

Arkansas A.W.A.R.E. website: http://bit.ly/AWAREwebsite

Produced by Donnie Lee
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
More information: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/communications/dese-podcasts