Abstract
Eleven primary social needs are defined, which if attained, fulfil the generic needs of all societies. Balanced attention to all these needs is the key to sustainability. Based on an analysis of constitutions, media content, citizen surveys, and participant observation, such balance is compared in 28 countries. The dangers of prioritization in China (economic opportunity), Japan (economic opportunity), the former Soviet Union (collective security), and the United States (individual freedom/individual security) are explored in great detail. Finally, homeostatic social mechanisms designed to allocate attention to the full range of needs are discussed.
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