It’s a well known fact that humans are social creatures, but why are we? To answer this question simply, it’s because humans from an early age- cavemen -have realised that you are more likely to survive in larger groups than being alone, especially when faced by a predator. But now that humans are facing the modern era, there are a plethora of reasons why someone would want company from another. In this post, I will be delving into the topic of why as humans, do we need connection?
I have looked at this video on why humans need connection and taken notes:
The cruelest thing about mental illness is that it has the ability to strip us of the belief that someone can suffer the same path we do. It isn’t egotistical, we are bound to a feeling that we are all condemned to uniquely awful scenario. When the thoughts of feeling unacceptable, useless and alone start to flood out minds, we start to isolate ourselves and run away from the people that we love the most. Plans become impossible to attend as we gradually develop the dear of being judged by our peers. A simple task such as talking to someone becomes out of the question because, how are we meant to focus on what the other person is talking about when all consuming thoughts take over our minds? An intrusive whisper would come tell us to die. Telling a friend would be another tortuous task as what would they think of the friend that was once lively and energetic? The assumption of no one on Earth can possibly understand what it’s like to be someone like us.
This way of thinking is particularly cruel, as the only antidote for mental illness is company. A mental illness can prevent access to what someone that needs a connection needs the most.
This painting depicts 5 figures in various states of depression. Although Hodler doesn’t outright say why the figures are feeling this way, his painting invites the viewer to come down to their own conclusions. Even though the men are sitting only centimetres away from each other, they may as well be in different rooms. It should be so easy for them to lend out a comforting hand and ask how they are doing, but fellowship is impossible in this painting as their depressive thoughts seem to have coddled them up, trapping them in their own worlds.
We start to heal when we realise that there is someone as complicated as we are, and reach out to a similar person and share stories of our lament. In a room where the lonely and depressed could collect, they would take turns revealing the emotional turmoil in their minds, detailing the newest challenges. whether that be sleepless nights, the inability to eat, the fear of being seen by the public eye and the overbearing voice telling them to kill themselves. Although the material would be dark, hearing that someone may be suffering the same problems as another does, would be a relieving feeling.
How is this relevant to my project?
Diving into why humans need connection is imperative to this project as connection is the driving force for the protagonist. As she has grown up alone on the streets, she doesn’t know what it’s like to have a close bond with anyone. When the game progresses and she is tasked with a main goal, she’ll do whatever it takes to get to that goal, even if it means sacrificing her own life as being dead is almost being the same as returning back to her previous lifestyle.
One of the underlying themes I want to incorporate into my game is bonds and friendships with people. I want to be able to move my player emotionally and feel happy when the protagonist makes a friend or talks to someone.