There are some things in life that are “necessary.” But necessary doesn’t always mean better.
In Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs, for instance, physiological needs like food and water take precedent over other possible needs. If you can’t eat or drink or sleep, nothing else matters all that much. But although these physical needs may be more “necessary,” this doesn’t entail that they in themselves are “better” than experiencing friendship or fulfilling our personal potential.
Some of the best things in life aren’t all that “necessary”—at least not in the same way food and sleep are.
Is it truly “necessary” to spend hours talking with a friend or playing with your kids? How about going on a date with your spouse, or spending the day at the beach? How about reading a novel, or going for a stroll? No, things like these aren’t necessary in the sense that you need to them to physically survive. And yet, this doesn’t diminish their value.
Uncommon
Sometimes the fact that something’s not necessary is the very thing that makes it more valuable.
For instance, suppose a friend took time to write and send you a hand-written note? Was it necessary for them to do this? Probably not. Is taking time for an activity like that very common? Nope. At least not much anymore. But the fact that it wasn’t “necessary”, and that it’s not all that common, is part of what makes it special.
The same thing can be seen in business. In one sense, it’s not strictly “necessary” to have amazing customer support, or remarkable products. Plenty of companies survive without either. It’s not required to treat your employees well, to create a great workplace environment, or to focus on building healthy teams. Again, there are plenty of places that don’t do any of these, and are still in business. But which kind of organization would you rather be a part of?
Or take an individual employee or team leader. Is it necessary for them to stay abreast with what happening in their industry? Is it required that they block out time to work on the most important things, even if that’s planning and preparing for the future? Nope. These things aren’t typically necessary. And unfortunately they may be the first things to go when things get busy. But that doesn’t mean they’re not important.
Merely Alive, or Truly Living
And yet, all these things that aren’t “necessary” in one sense of the word, are often “necessary” in another sense. No they may be required to survive. But they may be necessary to flourish.
Do we have to spend time with our loved ones? Do we have to take time to learn or reflect? Do we have to invest in the relationships around us? Do we have to take a moment to be grateful, or express appreciation? Nope. We don’t “have” to do any of these. At least not if the goal is merely to make it through another day.
And yet, to only do those things that are urgent or necessary means to miss out on some of the best things in life. It’s one thing to be alive, it’s another to be truly living. And taking time for these kind of “unnecessary” things is a necessary part of that experience.
_Question: What are some things that aren’t strictly “necessary” that you’ve found to be valuable? _