We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
- United States Declaration of Independence, 4th July 1776
Today, I had an enlightening bout with mild depression. I asked the question, Why is it that despite the many blessings I am enjoying, I was still feeling low? I searched for answers and my introductory lessons in Economics in High School gave me three: 1) the meaning of Economics; 2) Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy of Needs; and 3) The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility.
Define Economics
According to the Encyclopedia of Business, Economics is a
body of knowledge or study that discusses how a society tries to solve the human problems of unlimited wants and scarce resources. Back when I was a teenager, I was surprised to know that humans face the problem of unlimited wants. I didn’t know that we have unlimited wants. But according to social scientists, it’s true.
From Unlimited Wants to Shifting Needs
After accepting the fact that I have unlimited wants, here comes the kicker - human beings have shifting needs. According to Abraham Maslow, “there are at least five sets of goals which we may call basic needs. These are physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization.” Some models have a sixth need, transcendence.
Commonsense tells us that as you go higher up the pyramid, you focus less on the needs that are on the bottom. We have all experienced this in our own lives. As soon as we satisfy the lower needs, our heart yearns for the next level. Why? The answer lies in one aspect of human nature as explained by the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility.
According to this law, the more you consume a product, the less marginal utility (satisfaction) you get out of it. Simply put, the things that are giving you ultimate satisfaction and happines now, won’t give you as much later. In Tagalog, we call this sawa.
A Personal Reflection
Now I know why I was a little bit depressed today. I was faced with the realities of Economics in the forms of unlimited wants, shifting needs, and diminishing satisfaction. My mild depression was a warning. It was a signal that I have to find more creative ways to enjoy the simple things in life. It was a call to nurture my relationships with others. It was a reminder that I have to find more challenging goals. Goals that will satify my wants and needs. Goals that will lead me to my pursuit of happiness.
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References:
A.H. Maslow, “A Theory of Human Motivation, †Psychological Review, vol. 50, 1943, pp. 394-395. © 1943 by the American Psychological Association.
George Reisman, “Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics” ©1990 by Jameson Books.
4 Responses to “Why We Need To Be Depressed Sometimes”
‘Sorry to hear about your mild depression. I hope, you have completely recovered from it. I believe, we all have this moment in life… many times actually. Unfortunately, for some people “depression” becomes a regular illness, especially in the Western world and increasing in the developing world (don’t know about cases in the Phils). So, this topic is something that is relevant in our world today.
I am an Economist by profession (some call this profession–a “dismal scientist”) and so I am very familiar with what we call the “Law of diminishing marginal utilily”, scarce resources and unlimited wants/shifting needs. The question is “Is there a limit to our unlimited wants so that we avoid the symptoms of despression?”
Well, I want to see depression in a different angle… its spiritual aspect. In the beginning when God created man, there was a perfect happiness in the world (in which there is a perfect communion between God and man) until the fall of man into the devil’s temptation (Genesis). Because of this, man is separated from its true source of happiness–God. Then enter into the world… transgression, death and depression.
According to Dr. Lawrence Crabb, a famous phychologist, people have two basic needs for survival (not very different from what you have quoted above), namely: security and significance. The need for security (self-esteem) is love and unconditional acceptance of who we are, while significance (influence) is being able to get approval of what we do. Only God can fully satisfy these needs.
“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
Jeremiah 2:13
[Reply to this comment]
Dear Peacemaker,
Thank you for your nice message. It’s amazing how two people who have never met can become somewhat close friends through the net.
Take care and best wishes,
Lester
[Reply to this comment]
Manong,
I sincerely hope that you are ok.
I agree, depression does work to our advantage. It is there to remind us to take things slowly, it is there to remind us not to take things for granted and it is there to remind us that we are fallible creatures, in desperate need of divine grace…
Best wishes.
[Reply to this comment]
Hi Nathan!
By God’s grace, I’m much better now, especially after writing that entry and figuring out why I was a little bit depressed – why does this word sound so gloomy
I hope everything’s going great for you and your family in the UK. All the best!
Feel free to express your self