Man Needs the Environment
The environment is the place wherein man lives; it is his dwelling place. Man and the environment has a significant connection which entails that man cannot be detached from it, because his awareness and knowledge about things are both gained from his experiences that take place within his surroundings. Consequently, man tries to settle himself in his environment, both social and physical approaches, in order live life effectively and productively. Man and the social environment. A quality that distinguishes man from other animals is his social nature.
Man cannot be compared with other animals because he is placed above and dwells in a habitat where a social interaction is a prerequisite and basic function. “No man is an island; no man can stand alone. ” – This saying implies that man is intrinsically a social being. He cannot detach himself from others and all other creatures in the world; he is intended to be a being-that-exists-with-others-in-the-world. Man has his respective social roles: being-through-others, being-with-others, and being-for-others. These social roles would help an individual establish his social identity.
Man is a being-through-others. From man’s conception and birth, he is dependent on other people. He cannot grow up, work, and live neither as efficiently nor effectively, except through others. His life and death will only have meaning when considered in reference to others like him. Also, man is considered as a being-with-others. Despite the efforts to live independently, man cannot and should not live in total isolation rather he should deal and mingle with the people around him. His togetherness towards other creatures characterizes human nature.
And in dealing with other individuals, he builds up inter-human relationships. As a result of the social bonds from these relationships, man’s major social needs: attention, affection, and acceptance are being fulfilled. Moreover, with the inter-human relationships he has and the exposure to his environment, his awareness is increased. He will become more conscious and observant of the events and people around him – issues, situations, problems, and conditions. The “hows” and “whys” of human actions and interactions will be learned resulting to growth of man’s knowledge.
On the contrary, considering that a man who is gifted and is isolated from others since birth; man who doesn’t involve and have social relations ever since, impossibility of man’s survival arouses. In other words, man cannot be said to be a real man only with his biological birth but only when he forms social collective and lives in social relations, will he be able to exist and develop as a man. Man’s personality is moulded and developed within his social environment, through mingling with the people in his surroundings.
Through interacting with others, man develops his potentials. Indeed, the social environment itself and one’s exposure to it is vital in one’s life which conveys that man needs it. Man and the physical environment. The physical environment is composed of the natural resources. And from these resources, one’s necessities as a living organism, which includes man, can be acquired. As a living organism, man is in need of water, air, and also of the presence of other living creatures. Man needs air. It is in every living organism’s nature to breathe.
Breathing is vital in one’s life. It commonly serves as the basis that an individual has life and is alive. Man needs air to breathe in order to survive. The absence of air in man’s life would suggest and imply that man would eventually die. Also, man needs water. Water is one of the major needs for the survival of every living organism. Water plays an important role in man’s life, and it is involved in man’s daily living. It is used for drinking, for cooking, for hygienic purposes, for tidying things and also for watering the plants.
In addition, man needs the presence of other living creatures. The existence of every living organism has an important role in the environment which brings a large impact to the other living creatures in the world. Scientifically speaking, living creatures are said to have and participate in the so called as the Food Web and Food Chain. In these particular concepts, the presence of producers and consumers are considered; plants as producers and animals, which include man, are consumers. With such, man’s survival is dependent on the existence of other living creatures in the environment.
And it can be justified through man’s reliance to the gas, oxygen, which can be acquired from the plants, and to man’s practice of considering plants and others animals as his source of food. The presence of every living organism helps maintain the balance of the ecosystem. From the physical environment, man acquires his basic necessities. Indeed, man needs the physical environment for his survival. Man needs both the social environment and physical environment. From these environments, man obtains his needs. And from the satisfaction of his needs, man derives a sense of completeness and in the process, his survival is ensured.
