What Being Hungry Teaches You
Needs speak louder than all the things in your mind
Collective instinct to feed
Humans are conflicted animals. We are lucky that we work collectively and that our bodies come encoded with the lessons of our ancestors via DNA because it sure feels good to thrive at the top of the food chain. The paradox of our higher intelligence brings much complexity to the way we exist. It is easier for us to survive a long time because even if we cannot fend for ourselves there is a good chance of being fed by someone. The reason we help each other is also a clue to why we are the strongest creatures on the planet. Humans have empathy, a trait rarely seen in the animal kingdom.
Hunger creates mixed messages in social settings
Being on the hungry side of that equation brings a stark contrasting mix of experiences. Hunger makes someone both aggressive and shy. If too much time passes between meals hunger controls the mind almost entirely, as an essential survival mechanism. While I have not felt the true meaning of hunger many times, each time was a profound experience. My first thought when I recall times of hunger is sadness and confusion. I remember being ashamed. It took courage to reach out and ask for help in those times. Strangely, when a…
