Sasan Habibvand's article 'The Four Realms of Our Being'

The Four Realms of Our Being

Sasan Habibvand

If you have recently become the owner of a factory, in order to manage it properly and make optimal use of your establishment, you will first try to gain an understanding of the factory's generalities and its components and parts, and become aware of the needs and potential problems of each section. If a house has been offered to you for purchase, your first question will be how many rooms it has and what parts it consists of, what amenities it possesses, and what its overall floor plan is. Likewise, if you enroll in a pilot training course, the first thing you will be taught is familiarity with the main parts and components of the airplane, the function and characteristics of each part, and, of course, the relationship between the different sections. The reason for all of this is that having a general understanding of the main parts of any establishment is essential for its correct use and beneficial utilization, and any proper use of or behavior toward it is only possible in the light of such understanding.

But have you ever thought about what dimensions your being as a human consists of? Have you ever tried to draw up a grand, general plan of your characteristics and needs? For me personally, this question has always been a fascinating and important one, especially since, as we said, having an overall map of one's being will greatly aid our understanding of our needs and capabilities and will play a pivotal role in planning for our happiness and flourishing. In the discourse that follows, I intend to share with you what I have found in my attempt to answer this question. However, before beginning the discussion, there are a few points that must be kept in mind regarding what is presented in this discourse.

Here, I have considered the human being to comprise four dimensions or four general realms, and I have enumerated the characteristics and needs of each realm. Nevertheless, some may enumerate the dimensions and needs of the human being in a way other than what is presented here, or offer a different classification of its features—and they have done so—and naturally, what you read in this discourse is my perspective and the result of this pen's research and reflections. Another point is that, in my opinion, regardless of the dimensions and realms enumerated in this discourse, within us as humans, there exists a center called the

The physical realm, or the vital realm, is our body, our physics, our physical being. The body, or physics, is a dimension of our existence that we share with other entities, both animate and inanimate. That is, a body is possessed by stone, iron, and air, as well as by bears, termites, humans, and even bacteria. In this sense, every entity in the universe has a body—except for supernatural beings such as God, angels, and the like, which are not the subject of our discussion. Of course, we humans belong physiologically to the animals, and among them to the mammals, whose important characteristic is greater intelligence and the possession of a brain and a more complex nervous system.

2- The Instinctual Realm

The instinctual realm is that dimension of our existence which we share only with living beings, and particularly since, as humans, we are biologically closer to animals, our instincts are more similar to those of animals than, say, to those of insects or plants. Among human instincts, one can point to the instinct of self-love or self-regard, the instinct of self-preservation, as well as the instincts of hunger, thirst, fear, anger, and sexual desire. Our instinctual realm is closely connected with our vital and biological needs. The function of instincts is to ensure that our vital needs are met, meaning that these desires drive us toward eating, sleeping, fighting, fleeing, and reproduction, and in this way, they safeguard the continuation of our survival and that of our species. In this sense, instincts are, so to speak, "desired for the sake of another," meaning they are a means to achieve an end, and their desirability lies in the fact that they lead us to that end; it is obvious that if that end did not exist, the existence of that instinct would also be null and meaningless. For example, hunger ensures the consumption of food and the preservation of our life, or the desire for the opposite sex guarantees the formation of a family and the survival of our species and lineage, just as the instinct of fear protects our health and preserves our existence from dangers. Some instincts have a more psychological aspect, and others a more physical one. For instance, thirst is a physical instinct, while anger or self-love are psychological instincts. An instinct like sexual desire is, of course, a mixture of both characteristics. Instincts, in general, have several characteristics: first, they are "wave-like" and transient; second, they are satiable and can be satisfied; and third, they are shared with animals, especially with other creatures.

A. Wave-like Nature

Our instincts, especially those with a physical and physiological aspect, serve to satisfy needs that are more wave-like and emotional in nature than permanent and continuous. For example, when the level of food in our body decreases, the instinct of hunger is activated and arouses in us the feeling of needing food or drink, and this feeling, like a wave, rapidly intensifies in a short time and demands immediate satisfaction. Then, as soon as food is received and the need for it is met, the desire for hunger or thirst subsides and will not arise again until the next need for water or food. In other words, the satisfaction of hunger or thirst cannot be postponed and must be addressed as quickly as possible. Moreover, this need, after being met, will calm down, until some time later it is aroused again and sets our organism in motion to satisfy it.

B. Satiability

Furthermore, if we engage excessively in eating or drinking, after a short while, we will become weary and even disgusted by the very food we so intensely desired! Suppose that when you are extremely hungry, you are offered a food you love very much, for example, chelow kebab. After consuming one portion of chelow kebab, you will be full, and upon eating a second portion, you will become weary of this food, and if you are forced to eat a third and fourth portion, you may experience aversion and even nausea! (In fact, in psychology, this method is one of the techniques for breaking undesirable habits, including overeating and smoking). The same applies to other instincts, such as the sexual instinct and the sleep instinct. In this sense, it can be said that many instincts are satiable and even capable of being fully satisfied. You cannot engage in satisfying these needs excessively or for an overly long period (this characteristic will become clearer in comparison with the needs of the next realm, that is, the emotional realm).

Non-physical instincts such as fear and anger also have a wave-like, emotional quality, meaning that, like a wave, they stir and agitate our being for a time and then subside and calm down. The feeling of fear dissipates once the dangerous situation is removed, and the feeling of anger is resolved when the cause of the anger goes away. If, while crossing the street, you feel that a car is about to hit you, you will likely be overcome by sudden anxiety and terror, but as soon as the incident, as they say, "passes without harm," the feeling of fear will also dissipate within you. Even if, God forbid, the collision does occur, the feeling of fear will not continue after the accident has taken place (though it may be replaced by other unpleasant feelings such as pain or, say, anger at the careless driver's behavior). Similarly, if you are angry about the behavior of a negligent neighbor who has left their trash in the alley, your anger will continue until the matter is resolved and will then cease... In this sense, non-physical, instinctual emotions are also more or less transient, and a person cannot remain in those states for an unlimited period. Of course, the subject of hidden and chronic fears and angers that are symptomatic and pathological in nature is a separate and different category.

3_ The Emotional Realm

Our emotional realm is specific to our kind as human beings, and other living creatures are more or less devoid of it. Among our emotional drives are "curiosity" (or "love of knowledge"), "creativity" (or "love of creation"), "the will to power," "affection and the love of affection," and "love of beauty." In general, emotional needs have several major characteristics, including that they are: insatiable, perpetual and increasing, a source of psychological gratification and satisfaction, non-vital, and a factor in collective survival. If you pay attention to the characteristics we have listed, you will see that the properties of emotional needs are, to a large extent, the opposite of instinctual drives. Now let us see what is meant by each of these characteristics.

What is meant by emotional desires being "insatiable" is that this category of needs is not sated or saturated by being fulfilled, and does not cease upon being gratified. For example, a scholarly person never grows weary of acquiring knowledge and science but, until the end of life, desires to discover, learn, and know (if you look at the lives of artists you know or read the biographies of great figures in science and philosophy, you will realize this. It is well known that Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, on his deathbed, spoke with his friend about scientific matters, asking and answering questions, and when those around him were astonished by this and asked the reason, he replied: "Is it better that I die knowing, or not knowing?"). What is meant by the "continuity and increasing nature" of emotional desires and needs is that, firstly, these needs, unlike instinctual drives, are not limited to a specific time or situation, and secondly, the more this category of desires is fulfilled, the more they surge and intensify.

Suppose your feeling of hunger disappears after eating a sandwich, and as long as food remains in your stomach (or, in fact, your blood sugar is at a moderate level), you will have no interest in eating, whereas, for example, the desire you have for the art of poetry and being a poet, or for composing epic or romantic melodies—which is a form of the love of beauty—is, firstly, not limited to a specific time or period, and secondly, this interest does not cease after reading one, ten, or a hundred beautiful poems, and while you still remember the previous poems, you wish to read, hear, or compose more and more poems. Indeed, this inclination deepens and increases with the study or creation of better and more poems.

An instance of this principle is particularly evident in the work and lives of great architects, artists, and writers. In general, those whose professional work and activity are intertwined with their emotional desires never grow sated or weary of discovering new territories of literature, art, and creativity; on the contrary, the further they go, the more they increasingly desire greater activity and production in their fields of work, and, as it happens, their passion and enjoyment continually gain greater depth and breadth.

But what is meant by the two expressions "spiritual and psychological gratification" and "non-vital nature" regarding emotional desires and needs? The point is that satisfying these needs is not "essential" for preserving our physical and bodily life, and the activities associated with them are not necessarily in response to a physical or vital need. You do not receive money or a stipend for reading a beautiful poem or a gripping story, nor does playing music in your solitude fill your pantry, and giving a ride to a passerby stranded in the rain does not get you a mortgage! Rather, the reason for the desire to do these things is that humans derive spiritual and psychological enjoyment from them, and it is this very pleasure that moves them toward this category of behaviors. In other words, attending to emotional needs is for the sake of the inherent pleasure and tranquility that lies in their gratification and satisfaction, and not because of a specific need they fulfill in our lives. Put differently, the object of emotional needs, unlike instinctual needs, is, so to speak, "desirable for its own sake"; that is, what the emotional need seeks to attain is, for the seeker, desirable and wanted in itself, not a means for securing another need or gaining a benefit.

The same applies to the human inclination toward learning and creation in various scientific, literary, and artistic fields. A scientist, painter, marquetry artist, musician, poet, or writer may derive no material or instinctual benefit from their curiosity, artistry, or learning, and yet eagerly continue to learn and create in their field of interest. In other words, although in many cases each of these activities may serve as a profession and means of livelihood for the individual, this is not always so. The creation of art and the acquisition of knowledge are not necessarily intertwined with material gain or instinctual pleasure, nor does performing them play a role in the immediate survival of the person. Nevertheless, artistry and the pursuit of knowledge foster the growth of taste, feeling, and emotion within the human being and bring with them an inner and intrinsic pleasure, a pleasure that often far surpasses physical and instinctual gratifications in level and depth.

What is meant by "service to collective survival" is that fulfilling emotional desires, although not essential for the immediate survival of the individual, is nonetheless necessary and beneficial for the continued survival and improvement of human society. It is obvious to everyone to what extent the creation of literary and artistic works throughout history has given depth, richness, and beauty to human life, and to what degree it has imbued his presence in existence with joy, meaning, and pleasure, just as the acquisition of knowledge and the production of science have deepened and broadened human awareness of the capabilities, needs, and afflictions of his own existence and his society, and have become the source of humanity's mastery over nature and the elevation of the level of welfare, safety, and health of human society. It is not difficult to imagine that without these motivations, after tens of thousands of years, humans would still be living in the cave-dwelling era, and the immense phenomena called culture, civilization, and progress would never have entered human life.

Another instance of the principle of "service to collective survival" is the inclination humans have for kindness and compassion toward other people and beings. Supporting a needy person, although, as we said, may involve no material or vital benefit for the helper, yet from a holistic perspective, this inclination for empathy and support is necessary and essential for the continued survival and comfort of society. Even rescuing a suffering animal or an endangered plant species contributes to the survival of the environment and the preservation of living nature, a nature in whose embrace all beings, including humans, need to live. If people were to refrain from any task or action that holds no vital or instinctual benefit for them, and only act where their personal interests are involved, human society would gradually decline and perish, for it is clear that living together with joy and security requires a sense of interaction, connection, and mutual support among people. All the beautiful scenes of affection, sacrifice, and altruism that occur in human society arise from the human inclination for love and compassion, a tendency without which human society would descend to the level of an unsafe jungle where every creature only seeks to satisfy its instinctual needs. These are characteristics that distinguish emotional desires from other inclinations and needs of human existence, and, for example, differentiate an instinctual urge from an emotional need. With this criterion, in the following, we will briefly describe and examine each of the aforementioned emotional drives.

A. Love of Knowledge

Human beings are inherently interested in knowing, discovering, and, as the saying goes, "figuring out" things, and they often seek knowledge for its own sake (pay attention to the feeling behind this very expression, "figuring out": as if by discovering an unknown, a person pulls their head out of a suffocating or dark space and breathes a sigh of relief!). This characteristic distinguishes humans from other animals, for no animal engages in the acquisition of knowledge or the pursuit of learning. Although simple forms of curiosity can be seen, for instance, in dolphins or kittens, firstly, this inclination in them takes a very limited and rudimentary form, and secondly, its intensity is not comparable to the depth and seriousness we find in the knowledge-seeking of the human species.

There is no doubt that humanity's unveiling of the face of the world's unknowns and the expansion of its understanding of the various dimensions of the universe has paved its way toward a safer, more comfortable, and even longer life. Nevertheless, we all know very well that people's desire to discover, learn, and know is not necessarily for the sake of a benefit that is supposed to accrue to the person, sooner or later, from that knowledge. Many of those who engage in research and reflection in the sciences and delve into various literary, scientific, historical, and philosophical fields, sometimes even spending their lives and wealth on this path, derive no particular "benefit" from this scholarship. Rather, they engage in research and thought because the very act of knowing and learning is, for them, something compelling and pleasurable. In this sense, curiosity and the love of knowledge are among our emotional needs, the pursuit of which is, in itself, desirable and attractive.

Another characteristic of the love of knowledge is its insatiability. No matter how much a person succeeds in discovering more points in their fields of interest, not only do they not grow weary of finding out and learning, but the fire of their enthusiasm for knowing blazes even brighter. Unlike instinctual needs such as hunger, whose satisfaction quickly leads to satiation and fullness, and beyond that, to aversion and disgust, an inclination like the love of knowledge is never satiated by knowing and discovering. For example, if a person interested in astronomy has read a hundred books about the sky and stars and is told there is another book or lecture containing new information about the galaxy, they will immediately want to obtain that new book or hear that new lecture. Likewise, if a painting professor who has spent their life studying and analyzing the world's great paintings learns that there is a new exhibition displaying paintings they have never seen, you will probably find them first in line for exhibition tickets early the next morning!

Another feature of the love of knowledge is its spiritual and psychological enjoyment. A person who seeks knowledge and learning, by satisfying their sense of curiosity, neither fulfills a physical need nor experiences a physical, bodily pleasure. Rather, the feeling they gain from learning and knowing is an intellectual and psychological enjoyment. This matter is very familiar, especially to people of knowledge and research. If we visit bookstores, we see many people looking for and buying books or magazines that they often want not for a specific professional or material application, but purely for the pleasure found in reading that book or periodical; and of course, many of them sometimes generously spend their wealth and possessions for union with the beloved. It is recorded in history that Heraclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher, in response to a letter from Darius, the King of Persia, who had summoned this wise man to his court, wrote: "The pleasure of discovering the answer to a problem is, for me, greater than the pleasure of seizing all the kingdom of Persia." (See "History of Western Philosophy," Mostafa Malekian, Vol. 1 – Heraclitus).

B. Creativity

Setting aside the fascinating nest-building behavior of birds and insects, which is a biological activity, we are unlikely to see an animal engaged in creating a work of art or literature! This may be due to the low level of thought and imagination in animals, but in any case, such an inclination is unique to Homo sapiens, or "wise man," and as far as we know, does not exist in other creatures. Moreover, creativity for humans is, in itself, a desirable and pleasurable activity. Look at various works of art and literature. Of course, many of them are produced with the intention of selling and earning income, but many of the most outstanding paintings, beautiful stone or clay sculptures, eloquent and profound poems, and great, enduring literary and fictional works are solely and exclusively the result of their creators' love for making, crafting, and creating, and were not created with the intention of gaining profit or benefit.

What is the reason? The reason is that the desire to create and bring forth is one of the innate drives of human beings, and cultivating it, like other emotional desires, is in itself satisfying and joy-producing for them. Humans take pleasure in creating, cultivating, and building, and through this, they respond to a deep spiritual and inner need. What was said about the inclination for the love of knowledge also holds true for the desire for creativity. The artist, too, by creating more literary or artistic works, never becomes satiated or weary of the activity they have undertaken; on the contrary, the further they progress on this path, the more they think about creating new works and become interested in conquering the unknown territories of art, science, literature, and even industry (which is itself a form of art). A survey of the lives of the world's prominent and influential artists, writers, craftspeople, and authors will testify to this insatiable inclination.

C. The Will to Power

The word "power-seeking" in our minds is often associated with the concept of domination and coercion, but the reality is that, firstly, possessing power is essential for the survival and life of every living being, and secondly, the will to power does not necessarily mean an interest in dominating or harming others. Of course, it should be noted that the concept of strength and power should not be considered solely in the sense of physical, political, or military power; rather, intellectual and rational forces and skills are also a form of power: we all know by heart this verse from Saadi, the great Iranian poet and thinker: "He who is wise is powerful"... Even the ability to create literary, artistic, and scientific works, which provides the creative person with the possibility of bringing about change and transformation in the world and in people, is considered a type of power and ability—an ability upon which even other types of power are contingent and dependent. The great intellectual, spiritual, and philosophical leaders of the world primarily possessed this type of power of influence and impact. Furthermore, through physical and intellectual growth, humans inevitably evolve into stronger and more capable beings, and the concept of growth and perfection inherently contains the meaning of becoming stronger and more capable.

In this sense, it can be said that the desire for ability—of which the desire for knowledge is also a form—is an innate phenomenon in human beings. To overcome the diverse and endless challenges that the universe places before them from birth, humans are compelled to acquire power and ability. Although all living beings, in the struggle for existence, seek to become stronger and even dominate their enemies or prey, it seems that the will to power, in the sense of wanting power for its own sake, is unique to the human species. Especially if we consider power and ability in the broad sense mentioned above, it must be said that the desire for growth and becoming strong is a constant and insatiable interest in humans. Humans take pleasure in flourishing, becoming strong, and acquiring ability, and do not like the feeling of weakness and incapacity, and no endpoint is conceivable for this inclination—a fact that our objective intuitions fully confirm.

D. The Demand for Justice

Of course, there is rarely any definitive consensus on the precise meaning of justice and fairness, and arriving at an agreed-upon definition for concepts such as justice is no easy task, just as the meaning and referent of its opposite—oppression and tyranny—are also far from universally agreed upon. Nevertheless, one can confidently say that there is no human being who detests what they, however vaguely, recognize as

Our rational realm has several great advantages over the other three realms: first, reason is capable of recognizing and meeting the needs of the other realms, whereas those realms, in and of themselves, do not possess such an ability. For example, a toothache is merely a sensation and is not, by itself, capable of resolving the problem of a decayed tooth. It is reason that must first identify this sensation as a "toothache" and then set the organism in motion toward resolving that problem. Of course, the process of resolving the problem also takes place through the sagacity of the power of thought and reflection. Likewise, the sensations of hunger or thirst are, in themselves, blind feelings and require another agent to comprehend them, to recognize the desire of which they are a sign, and to fulfill it; and this conscious, recognizing, and resolving agent is none other than reason and thought.

The task of understanding emotional desires and fulfilling them also rests upon the shoulders of reason and intellect. The desire for beauty and creativity, which is the foundation of artistic activities, is recognized, cultivated, and planned for by reason, and the result is that human beings engage in making artistic tools and instruments such as musical instruments, painting canvases, and calligraphy pens, or that the art-seeking individual undertakes the various activities necessary for learning art: enrolling with a master artist, purchasing artistic supplies, and engaging in the study and learning of the principles of art and literature. Similarly, the human need for power and ability is identified by the perceptive and guiding power of reason, and is then fulfilled through engaging in sports, pursuing knowledge, and acquiring various skills.

The second interesting and unique characteristic of the rational realm is that this dimension of our being is itself capable of recognizing its own needs and of caring for and nurturing its own existence. None of the three realms of the "vital," "instinctual," and "emotional" are capable of nurturing themselves or meeting their own needs; they are merely desirous and demanding of attention for themselves, and in this respect, they are needy and dependent upon a force outside themselves. But the situation of reason is different. Reason both recognizes its own need for attention, growth, and correction, and is capable of planning and moving toward strengthening, educating, and developing itself. Reason is even capable of discovering its own weaknesses and errors and striving to identify and rectify them.

When you see an airplane in the sky, what your eyes report to you is that "that bird is the size of a matchbox" (this is probably what an infant imagines), and it is your reason that assures you that that "little bird" is, in reality, hundreds of times larger than an eagle. When you think about yesterday or a year ago and review in your mind the choices and behaviors you engaged in at that time, you encounter numerous behaviors and decisions that, by the standards of your reason and awareness today, you assess as mistaken and lacking in prudence and foresight; and this is due to the power of reason and thought in criticizing and evaluating itself.

همچنین، علت این که آدم‌ها به کسب دانش و مهارت در رشته‌های مختلف علمی و هنری و فنی می‌پردازند، جز این نیست که داوری به‌نام عقل و اندیشه رأی داده است که دانسته‌ها و مهارت‌های ذهنی و عقلانی‌ آنها در زمینه‌ی آن علم یا فن به‌خصوص، دچار ضعف و نارسایی است و لذا فکر و اندیشه آنان در آن حیطه نیازمند تقویت و آموزش است. تشخیص ضعف ها و خطاهای فکری و عقلانی توسط خود عقل، نمونه‌های بی شماری دارد و  اساسا پیدایش شاخه‌ای به نام "معرفت‌شناسی" یا "نظریه شناخت" در فلسفه و نیز مبحث  شناخت و خطا در روانشناسی، معلول همین قابلیت عقل در کشف و شناسایی ضعف‌ها و خطاهای خود و تمایل او به رفع این خطاهاست. این در حالی است که این قدرت "خودنگری" و "خودپالایی" را در هیچ ساحت دیگری از هستی بشر سراغ نداریم. در اینجا ناگزیریم اندکی حاشیه برویم و اضافه کنیم که  البته توانایی اصلاح یا ترمیم خود، در جسم و فیزیولژی همه موجودات زنده وجود دارد مثلا بدن، اثر زخم را ترمیم می‌کند، مواد زائد را دفع می‌نماید و در حد توان خود با بیماری، مبارزه می‌کند، ولی اولا فرایند این کارها، بیشتر، دارای  ماهیت خودکار و غریزی است. و ثانیا این قابلیت‌های «نیمه‌هوشیار» و غریزی  به تنهایی برای حفظ بقای آدمی کافی نیست- در نظر آورید که نوزاد انسان برخلاف جانداران دیگر، تا مدتی بسیار طولانی متکی به مراقبت و پرورش و آموزش از سوی والدین خویش است و قادر نیست بدون تکیه زدن بر عقل و تشخیص بزرگ‌ترها، به حیات خود ادامه دهد. و می‌دانیم که  تأمین نیاز به دارو و درمان و شناخت بیماری‌ها و اجتناب از خطرات،  که در سطحی بسیار فراتر از غریزه اتفاق می‌افتد، بر دوش حیطه‌های علمی از قبیل مهندسی، معماری و به‌خصوص پزشکی است که تولد همگی‌شان مرهون  رشد و باروری ساحت عقلانی انسان است. مطلب دیگر این که باید توجه داشت که نظام جسمی و فیزیکی هم کار مراقبت و ترمیم خویش را با اتکاء بر نوعی شعور و خرد ذاتی انجام می‌دهد و اگر چنین «عقل غریزی» بر او حاکم نبود توانایی انجام این کار را نداشت و این خرد و تشخیص را می‌توان بخشی از همان ساحت عقلانی دانست چرا که قابلیت شعور و درک، چیزی نیست که منحصر به مغز باشد و البته ما هم چنین چیزی نگفته‌ایم.

با توجه به قابلیت‌های عظیم و منحصر به‌فرد ساحت عقلانی، طبیعی است که مدیریت سایر ساحات و تأمین نیازهای آنها بر عهده عقل و خرد است. عقل است که می‌بایست به ما از احتیاجات گونه‌گون‌مان آگاهی ببخشد، قابلیت‌های جسمی و روحی‌مان را بشناسد و برای مدیریت نیازها و شکوفایی جنبه های ‌مختلف هستی‌مان  به تدبیر و سنجش‌گری بپردازد. معنای این دریافت آن است که عقل، به هر اندازه که بالنده و پرورده شود مدیری لایق و خردمند خواهد بود که خواهد توانست درستی یا نادرستی هر رفتار و به‌جایی یا نابه‌جایی هر تمایلی را بشناسد، برای تأمین هر یک از نیازها متناسب با اهمیت و اولویت آن برنامه‌ریزی کند و سهم هر ساحتی را به کفایت و شایستگی بدهد. هستی ما سرزمینی است که فرمان‌روای آن عقل و خرد و اندیشه است و به‌لحاظ همین وظیفه بزرگ و خطیر است که می‌بایست عقل و اندیشه را تا حد امکان شکوفانید و نیرومند ساخت و او را از خطا و هرزرفتن حفظ کرد تا به مفیدترین وجهی زندگی فردی و جمعی ما را راهبری کند و ما رابه آسودگی و شکوفایی برساند.

چند نکته‌ی مهم

در پایان، چند نکته درباره دسته‌بندی که در این گفتار آورده‌ایم قابل ذکر است. اولین مطلب آن که طرح‌واره‌ای که در اینجا از ساحات و نیازهای وجودمان ترسیم شد، یک مرزبندی قاطع و دقیق نیست بلکه یک دسته‌بندی کلی و تقریبی است. واقعیت آن است که از یک‌سو میان بسیاری از امیال و نیازهای انسان نمی‌توان مرزی مشخص تعریف کرد و از سوی دیگر، خیلی از رفتار‌های ما انسان‌ها توأمان برآورده کننده‌ی دو یا چند نیاز اعم از احتیاجات غریزی، عاطفی یا عقلانی هستند. فعالیتی به اسم کار کردن و کسب درآمد را در نظر بگیرید. این فعالیت، هم مستلزم رشد و پرورش توانایی‌های فکری و عاطفی است و هم عامل آن؛ هم کنشی است برای تأمین نیازهای غریزی و حیاتی ما به خوراک و مسکن، و هم واکنشی است به میل عاطفی ما برای تعامل اجتماعی و حرکت به‌سمت رشد، خلاقیت و توانایی. همچنین حرفه‌ای مثل آموزش هنر، از یک طرف ارضاءکننده‌ی میل هنرمند به زیبایی و خلاقیت و حتی محبت است و از طرف دیگر تأمین‌کننده‌ی نیازهای مادی و معیشتی او.

Even precisely separating the four realms from one another is a difficult task, and one cannot say that the nature of these realms is truly distinct and separate from each other. For example, the acquisition of knowledge and learning both satisfies the human desire for curiosity, cultivates his rational realm, and fulfills his need for a sense of capability and worth. Therefore, one cannot say that a specific realm is solely at work in the process of discovery and learning. The final point is that for each of the realms we have named, one can also identify and enumerate other needs, and even discuss and debate their number and quality—a task beyond the scope of a single discourse, which is why we have contented ourselves here with a general and concise outline.

Another point worth mentioning is the correspondence and overlap between the schema presented here and Maslow's famous pyramid, in the sense that the four realms discussed in this discourse can be seen as correspondingly aligned with Maslow's "hierarchy of needs." We know that Abraham Maslow, the influential twentieth-century American psychologist, in his famous pyramid, divided human needs into five groups, which from the base of the pyramid to its apex are: 1. "Physiological needs," which include the need for food, sleep, and sexual desire, 2. "Safety needs," which include the need for health and security from danger, 3. "Love and belonging needs," which include the need for friendship, affection, and acceptance, 4. "Esteem needs," which include the need for respect and self-esteem, and 5. "Self-actualization needs," which Maslow defines as "transforming one's being into the best possible state" and includes cultivating creativity, living an ethically-oriented life, accepting facts, and avoiding bias and prejudice.

In this comparison, one can say that generally, the needs of levels 1 and 2 in Maslow's pyramid are related to our physical and instinctual realms, and the needs of levels 3 to 5 belong to our emotional and rational realms. In particular, it is interesting to note that Maslow called the needs of the first four levels of the pyramid "deficiency needs" and the needs of the fifth or final level "growth needs," meaning that the needs of the first group, such as hunger and thirst, are needs that arise in humans as a result of lack and deficiency, and satisfying them is essential to avoid suffering and unrest. In contrast, the needs of the last level, including the desire for perfection and flourishing, set human existence in motion not due to a feeling of suffering and discomfort, but as a result of a yearning for growth and development. And this is the very difference that can be discerned between the two physical and instinctual realms and the emotional and rational realms.

The final point is that from this same general outline, one can also deduce the concept of happiness, satisfaction, and well-being, in the sense that in a happy and flourishing being, a vigilant and powerful intellect sits in the seat of management, which correctly recognizes the needs of this existence and, in a useful and harmonious way, guides the person towards fulfilling them. To the extent that the various dimensions and realms of human existence are attended to and fulfilled, he will have a more flourishing existence and a more dynamic and felicitous life. Conversely, to the extent that any of the dimensions of this existence are subjected to neglect, suppression, or deviation, the person's being will be afflicted with weakness, deficiency, withering, and unhappiness.

This principle holds true not only at the level of individual life but also, precisely and practically, in the arena of the collective life of human beings. To the extent that in a society, the vital, emotional, and rational needs of people are attended to and properly answered, that society will be a healthy, flourishing, and happy collective, and conversely, to the extent that the natural desires and innate wants of individuals are subjected to suppression, denial, or excess and deficiency, that society will fall into the abyss of underdevelopment, rage, and frustration—this last point, namely the relationship between the fulfillment of existential realms and happiness, I have discussed in detail in the book 'The Enigma of Happiness,' which is forthcoming.

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1- Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

2- Deficiency Needs

3- Growth Needs

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Ways to contact Sasan Habibvand:

telegram.me/sasanhabibvand email: [email protected]

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