When the definition of essentials changed forever:
One night over 3 months ago, I had booked flights for my 2 week long summer holidays to Canada scheduled for the 6th of June — more precisely that holiday would have begun today. After having a rather extensive chat with my bestie who now lives in Toronto with her 10 year old at 2am on a Friday night, I was supercharged, excited and needless to say wide awake to head to bed. So I did what every junky does. I began shopping for my trip on an online store.. rather adding my wishlist to the shopping cart hoping to create my picture perfect holiday.
2 days ago, I spotted a notification on the locked screen on my mobile, ‘your selected items are fast selling’. And it made me stare at my screen and think.. “do I really need them anymore?”. Are they a part of the new definition of ‘essentials’. The Dictionary definition of essentials is absolutely necessary; indispensable.
Referring to the classic Maslow classification system (refer Wikipedia) that reflected the universal needs of society as its base and then proceeding to more acquired emotions. This means that in order for motivation to arise at the next stage, each stage must be satisfied within the individual themselves before moving onto a higher pursuit. However, scholars today prefer to think of these levels as continuously overlapping each other. This means that the lower levels may take precedence over the other levels at any point in time. This did not even seem remotely possible a few months ago. Why would the lower levels suddenly be this important to a world whose basic priorities were focused on being highly accomplished and splurging on the unnecessary?!
But Voilà, here we are! The world on paper finally makes sense again. The lower hierarchical needs based on this theory once again fits in best with the definitions of the unequivocal essentials — Food, shelter, health, financial security, safety and love (belonging) and of course, the only source of our survival — Internet! Growing up, I had promised my parents and so I’m finally reading up on. Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn tonight 🤷♀.
The higher needs as per the theory such as accomplishment and prestige have somehow taken a backseat for most, at least for now. Though we can still not rule out a few exceptions to this rule. Contextual is so different today. Analysts who will be looking at past trends decade or two ahead from now will have to ensure that they find a different colour, a different graph or a different chart while referring to this period to predict the future.
While few struggle to make peace and accept the ‘new normal’, adjusting and aligning their priorities, most fear the loss of access to the basic needs. Then there are those who are re-thinking and re-aligning their priorities, planning a new, conservative, but not so bling bling tomorrow.
On a higher note, one might relate to the relentless and intense pressing couching style of Jürgen Klopp, now more than ever: “the best moment to win the ball is immediately after your team just lost it.”
Wish you all a great week ahead.
