If the threat to life is constant and pervasive, then the preservation of life becomes the only concern. The daily quest for survival would provide little time to reflect on life's meaning and one's place in the world. A feeling of safety is required to allow Adam and Eve's thoughts to blossom into reflections on their lives, and only through these reflections can they come to know whether they feel valuable and important "whether they have a sense of self-worth. A feeling of safety serves as a necessary component of contentment because it prevents feelings of anxiety and fear concerning the surroundings and the immediate future. .
The most obvious example of safety in Eden involves the role of the "verdurous wall- (l. 143). Traditionally, the presence of this wall has been a point of great contention among those who would debate whether Eden is a depiction of true paradise. Many argue that it inhibits freedom of movement for Adam and Eve: surely, Eden cannot be a paradise if it inhibits freedom. In response to the idea that the wall is intended for the protection and safety of Adam and Eve, many contend that it fails to keep out the most dangerous, and seemingly only threat to their well-being "Satan. These are valid arguments if the lens through which Paradise is viewed is a personal one, subject to the likes and dislikes of the viewer. For some, total freedom may seem frightening, making the wall a welcome presence in their paradise. For many others, any inhibition is unwelcome, thus eliminating the wall from their personal paradise. In the context of this argument, however, the wall represents a sign of security and safety because the lens through which it is viewed belongs to Adam and Eve. Only if they feel it inhibits their freedom should it be considered inhibiting. No where in the text of Book IV do either Adam or Eve mention any constraints placed on them by the existence of the wall.