Poll results -- long way home

Hey! There's a new poll (who deserves it?) on the right ===>

I work xx distance from my "emotional center" (friends and family), where xx is... less than 20 minutes  31% 30 between 20 minutes and 2 hours  24% 23 between 2 hours and a day  7% 7 a day or more  13% 13 I don't have an emotional center (or it's scattered)  16% 16 My emotional center is always with me  8% 8 97 votes total

I don't have a lot of "analysis" to add to these results. I presume that it's more difficult to live farther away from your emotional center because of the difficulty of feeling safe/loved/etc., but perhaps some people (7% and 13%) can comment on how they cope.

Personally, I am scattered and/or self-sufficient. The main implication is that I constantly question both my actions and their ultimate implications. This may have more to do with the complications of freedom (light job and family responsibilities) that affects my emotional center.

These thoughts easily segue into our basic nature as humans. A recent New Yorker article on Neanderthals [more here] speculated that the main difference between them and us -- a related species that overwhelmed and absorbed them -- is our sociability. People are just better at relating, cooperating and dominating other species -- for good or ill.

Bottom Line: Humans have basic needs. Once those are met, we have more complicated emotional needs -- some of which can only be satisfied by inner peace.