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Sustainability is the capacity to provide the best for yourself, each other and all things in our environment now and in the future.

The whole process can be thought of like a giant game with a gameboard,players,levels and rules.

The gameboard represents a map of the areas or systems that we live in, which is always some environmental, social and economic combination. The map has several treasures marked on it that represent universal needs. The goal is to achieve sustainability by satisfying the basic needs.

"Human needs are few, finite and classifiable (wants are infinite and insatiable). Needs are also the same in all human cultures and across historical time periods. What changes over time and between cultures is the way or means by which the needs are satisfied. It is important that human needs are understood as a system - i.e. they are interrelated and interactive" (Max-Neef 1989).

Feed Your Needs

Satisfiers can be economic goods, types of social practices, organizations, political structures, subjective conditions, values and norms, spaces, contexts, types of behavior and attitudes. These satisfiers come in five forms: destroyers, pseudo-satisfiers, inhibiting-satisfiers, singular-satisfiers and synergistic-satisfiers. If they can be found, synergic-satisfiers are best for all situations. Singular-satisfiers will also work, but less effectively, while the other three should be avoided entirely if possible.

Destroyers

Destroyers don't actually satisfy needs at all but destroy the possibility of satisfying a need and impairs the satisfaction of other needs. An example of a destroyer is the arms race. It was meant to satisfy the need for protection but instead threatened to destroy those societies that were to be protected.

Pseudo-satisfiers

Pseudo-satisfiers generate a false sense of satisfaction. Stereotypes are examples of pseudo-satisfiers which appear to satisfy a need for understanding, but which do not give real understanding.

Inhibiting-satisfiers

Inhibiting-satisfiers oversatisfy a given need, thereby hindering the satisfaction of other needs. E.g. an authoritarian classroom may oversatisfy the need for understanding and hinder participation, creation, identity and freedom.

Singular-satisfiers

Singular-satisfiers accommodate one particular need. Insurance is an example of this. It satisfies the need for protection, without satisfying or hindering other needs.

Synergistic-satisfiers

Synergistic-satisfiers contribute to the accommodation of several needs while taking care of one intended need. Breast feeding, for example, contributes to satisfying the need for subsistence while also contributing to protection, affection and identity.

(This concept of satisfiers is the work of Max-Neef 1989)