We keep trying to explain cultural chaos as an information problem. “If people just knew the facts…” “If they would just think critically…” “If we could just argue more clearly…” But what if the issue isn’t primarily intellectual at all? What if much of our social, relational, and political breakdown is better understood as a collective psychological and emotional crisis rather than an ideological one? That’s where Maslow becomes surprisingly helpful—not just for individuals,

We don’t argue to understand; we argue to survive. We don’t defend ideas; we defend our sense of meaning. Every issue feels existential, every election apocalyptic, every headline a new tremor under our feet. What’s happening to us isn’t just political or cultural. It’s deeply psychological—and, at its core, spiritual.