Not only essential for life, but a liquid with strange properties. Like all liquids it exists in a state between solid and gas, between a static state and a chaotic one. In complexity theory we call such a state the 'Edge of Chaos' and systems in this state combine both stability and flexibility. Systems that are able to adapt, are found to self-organize from either a static state or a chaotic one to a state in between. This movement is natural for both physical systems and human, a consequence of the need to explore the environment and maximise adaptability.
Human beings are complex creatures.
We have a need for peace and tranquillity, yet also for variety and novelty. We operate very much on the 'Edge of Chaos', sometimes relaxing in a static, meditative, mode, sometimes erupting into a chaotic, creative, frenzy. Neither state is 'correct', the essence of complex systems is diversity, self-organization exists at all scales, structurally and temporally.