We need to feel safe in order to be creative and generative.

Safe states are a prerequisite not only for social behavior but also for accessing the higher brain structures that enable humans to be creative and generative. However, what are the features of our institutions, such as educational institutions, governments, and medical treatment centers, in promoting states of safety? What are the priorities of our culture and society in respecting individual needs for safety? We need to understand what features in the world disrupt our sense of safety and realize the cost to human potential of living in an unsafe world. As we understand our vulnerability to danger and life threat, we have to start respecting the importance of social behavior and the social engagement system (Porges, 2007) in dampening defensive systems that enable us to form strong social bonds, while simultaneously supporting health, growth, and restoration. (Location 728)