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What Being Hungry Teaches You About Empathy
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 vulnerable moment came, some people were shockingly cruel in response.
Experiencing hunger teaches one the raw reality of our primal needs. As much as we pride ourselves on our intellect and societal achievements, the basic instinct of hunger humbles us, and we are coldly reminded of our dependency on sustenance. In the face of hunger, the chaos of thoughts and desires in our minds pales in comparison to the simple imperative of finding food to survive.
Our evolutionary journey has equipped us with the ability to work our way through the complexities of existence, yet hunger remains a primal force that cuts through all the social etiquette. It strips away the layers of civilization, revealing our animalistic nature. In moments of hunger, the urgency to satiate oneself can override rational thought, evoking both desperation and determination.
