Monday, August 27, 2012

6 basic human needs

As humans we all have needs and wants and we are motivated in our actions to get away from pain (push) or to get pleasure (pull).





1. Certainty

We all want know that we’re safe, and that we can count on certain things in life to happen (or not to happen).  We want certainty the car will start, the water will flow from the tap when we turn it on and the floorboards will support us when we get up in the morning.

2. Variety

At the same time we need certainty, we also crave novelty. Paradoxically, there needs to be enough uncertainty to provide intrigue and excitement in our lives.

3. Significance

Deep down, we all want to be valued for who we are. We want our life to have meaning and significance. We want to “matter”.

4. Connection/Love

We’re alive because someone (even if it was in a dysfunctional way) loved us. We need to feel loved, feel part of a community, and feel cared for and cared about.

5. Growth

We have a need to become better, to improve our skills, to stretch, expand and excel.  This need may be more evident in some than others, but it is present in all of us.

6. Contribution

The desire to make the world a better place than we found it is the final human need.  It is the need to contribute something of value, to help and uplift others somehow.








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