Attention: A basic human need

Plants need watering until their roots are deep enough to get enough water supply from the ground. At birth, animals need their mother’s attention up to the time they can fend for themselves. As for humans though, the attention level required is even way high than that of other animals. It is humans who require more and prolonged attention for survival than any other species.

According to the English Oxford dictionary, attention (to something/somebody), is the act of listening to, looking at or thinking about something/somebody carefully; the interest that people show in somebody/something. Looking at this definition and reading between the lines, attention has much to do with importance – whether real or perceived.

In daily human interactions, often assertions are made about how someone likes looking for attention. It may even go as far as describing someone as suffering from attention deficiency. But looking at the very nature of a human being, attention is one of its very basic needs since the urge to do anything to attain it.

Before the 21st century and its internet revolution, attention levels were more moderate and lower key. However, the advent of social media platforms brought with it the exposure of our very human need for attention. With this understanding, it seems that the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, at its core, is about attention. For example, what is seen as self-actualisation (the desire to become the most one can be) is still a pursuit of attention from others. This is because such a realization will still depend on the attention and perception of others.

However, as much as attention is part of human nature and just as with anything else, too much of it may not be good. When the pursuit of attention, consciously or subconsciously, becomes the primary purpose or goal, it may eventually lead to bad mental health. The worst is when the person seeking it is unaware and it leads to addiction that one would do anything to get it.

If there was a common understanding of the importance of attention as a basic human need, it would have also been such that it could be part and parcel of our education. Whether formal or informal, such education would then also point out the importance of ensuring enough attention supply to every individual as from birth.

Meaning that just as part of the normal health care routine for infants, parents could also be sensitized and guided on how to give enough attention to the child for their overall well being. Because if they do not do so, the child will eventually seek it in one-way or the other. In these times, often social becomes the route to meet such need, even if it may be coming from total dangerous strangers.

Thanks to social media that as much as it helps to connect people, it also happens to expose them. It has come to expose that as far as development goes, technological development has surpassed the other aspects of development such as psychological development. That as far as education goes, balancing the income statement or managing the project cycle has been attained with excellence but managing our psyche faculty remains our most challenging puzzle.

With that said, there is no doubt that the writing is on the wall. The time has come to accept that attention is an underlying basic human need. Without it, overall well-being cannot be achieved. Next time someone tells you that you like attention, please remind them of that. They may not need it at this point but there may also come a time where they may seek it from you.

E-mail: karlsimbumusic@gmail.com OSHIMWENYO will be published every Friday in the New Era newspaper with contributions from Karlos Naimwhaka.

Mentos Goagoseb Namibia’s rising producer, also known as Dj Dozza, is a young and ambitious businessman with a strong passion for music. Having produced for artists such as Jericho, Female Donkey and Tswazis – just to mention a few – he has started showing signs of becoming a major player in the music industry.

Dozza recently released a new single featuring Agogo, titled ‘Ipupulu’, showcasing his artistry. Speaking to Entertainment Now!, the producer cum artist said the new single was produced a while back – not just to set a trend but to lead a new body of sound.

‘’Basically, to make the sound our own and not copy and paste, at the same time, break records. People find it controversial but that’s the fun in it. It’s local competitiveness and I’m sure it will awaken the game a little with the intentions to build,’’ he explained.

He told this reporter he has had the hunger for some time to also dabble in the studio booth and not just create music behind the scene. ‘’I had the energy and blood for music for some time now. I just never had time for it because of my job as a producer and being more into the business side of things made it difficult. As a perfectionist, it’s hard to maintain the standard but I’m excited and about ready to take on the industry head-on,’’ he narrated.

Currently, he is just testing the waters, as he has managed halfway to rebuild his fan base with some songs he has released and produced. ‘’It’s safe to say for now I’ll keep dropping heat since we can finally sell our singles via viral.com, just another platform where you can SMS and receive singles. Expect new music, as I have recently teamed up with Zella; we formed a group called the Assassins.com,’’ he ended.

A few years ago, I embarked on a personal journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance. I needed to find my individuality – and with it, inner peace and everything else motivational authors/speakers say lead to true happiness.

I didn’t know what to expect; at that point, all I knew was that I was ready to take complete charge of my happiness. I needed to figure out what that meant to me first before even identifying which areas of my life I needed to work on.

Not that I was miserable or anything; I just knew there was more happiness out there to find for myself. But it wasn’t too long before I identified that as my first mistake: thinking that my happiness is somewhere out there for me to find.

The most valuable lesson I learned on this journey is that we don’t need anybody or anything to be happy.

Often, we go through life, searching for happiness outside ourselves – being oblivious to the fact that we are the only ones who can give ourselves the happiness we search for.

If you think about it, everything we do in our lifetime – whether or not we realise it – is because we ultimately crave for happiness.

Dj Dozza the beat architect

The mindful producer is also a facilitator for a project called Namibia to Hollywood. It is a training program that prepares young talents for bigger markets as far as entertainment is

Subconsciously, every relationship, purchase, career move and any type of commitment to anybody or anything stems from our inborn need to be happy. What a few have realised, however, is that you don’t need anybody else to make and keep you happy because nobody else truly knows what that entails.

My husband has this analogy about looking for happiness outside yourself; it’s like looking for your keys when you have them in your hand. Switching them from one hand to the other, hoping to find it somewhere in the house when you have it all along.

As social creatures, of course, others can contribute to our sense of fulfilment with laughs and smiles, but what about days when they can’t? When they are unable to, know and need that dose of happiness too?

Although not all will admit it, everybody has problems. So, when people are going through their stuff, there is no room to make your happiness a priority. Let’s not even talk about temporary happiness stemming from material things. It only lasts for a short time. And as soon as the novelty wears off, we set our eyes on the next must-have, falling for the same trap over and over again. Not

concerned. They are creating an opportunity for stars to be able to grow their talents in all aspects of entertainment including modelling.

– slunyangwe@nepc.com.na to mention the economic barriers this presents.

We relinquish our power by allowing people and material things to control how we feel, subsequently losing control of our lives.

Living like that, we stay searching from one person to the next – one object to another. As soon as we think we have it, it disappears again. We are each responsible for our happiness: defining, finding and holding on to it. Only then we can truly give the best of ourselves to those in our lives.

You can’t make yourself happy if you don’t know what that is. Do some introspection: what brings you joy and what steals it away? The answer to those questions is where your happiness lies.

• Paula Christoph’s column concentrates on positive and inspirational write-up’s every second Friday in the New Era newspaper.