As the prominent social psychologists, Baumeister and Leary, point out, “Groups can share food, provide mates, and help care for offspring (including orphans). Some survival tasks such as hunting large animals or maintaining defensive vigilance against predatory enemies, are best accomplished by group cooperation…. Competition for limited resources could also provide a powerful stimulus to forming interpersonal connections.” (p.499 need) The need to belong is deeply rooted in human consciousness. Baumeister emphasizes that the need to belong is a powerful need, and not just a want. While people can go for long periods of time abstaining from sex without dire consequences, the absence of social interaction can have lethal consequences. “One very important motivation that lies on the boundary between natural and cultural motivations is the need to belong to social groups. It is apparent that people have a deeply rooted need to have contact with other people.” (p14 Meanings) “We [Baumeister and Leary] suggest that belongingness can be almost as compelling a need as food and that human culture is significantly conditioned by the pressure to provide belongingness.”(p 498 need)