Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. From birth we experience different needs (for food, sleep, air, care).
Over time, they change, are supplemented, and strengthened. But it is their satisfaction that makes us act, move forward, go towards the goal.
Today we will talk about what it is, find out what needs are inherent in each person, what types they are divided into, and also take a detailed look at the pyramid of human needs from the famous American psychologist Abraham Maslow.
What are needs
The key word in defining the concept of need is “need”.
Need
- this is the need for certain things, objects of the material world, objects, people, social indicators, in the absence of which a person feels uncomfortable.
Taking into account this definition, neediness, in order to become a need, must meet the following criteria:
- A lack of need causes a feeling of dissatisfaction. A need is something desired, a good.
- Accompanying with emotions: from negative at the first stage to joyful after the need is fulfilled. When we really want something, we get nervous and anxious; when we get what we want, we relax.
- Fixation on the subject of need. Consciousness snatches from reality those things that can satisfy us. For example, if we are hungry, we will focus on the food and the smell of food.
The system of needs is also formed according to special rules:
- Need is common to all living beings on the planet. But the more developed the species, the higher the level of needs. The tree has enough nutrients from the soil, sunlight, and rain watering. Man, as a highly developed animal, needs much more.
- The older the person, the more extensive the list of what is required. A baby can do without things that an adult needs.
- Needs are a strictly hierarchical structure, some are primary, others are secondary.
People's actions are dictated by the presence of a certain need, which is the main motivator of activity. Motivation to get what you want moves a person forward and forces him to act. Everything that has been created by people throughout the history of mankind in politics, economics, art, science is the result of activities to satisfy needs.
The inability to fulfill needs can lead to dependence on their importance for the individual and to the following various consequences:
- Physical death of a person
. If the need for food, sleep, water, air, safety, etc. is not satisfied. - Frustration
is a long-term experience associated with a nervous disorder and can lead to serious psychological problems. An example is the lack of recognition of a person’s merits by society. - Sublimation
- the transition of the energy of dissatisfaction into creation, creativity. For example, the absence of sex is replaced by heavy sports activities.
Thus, needs should be listened to and efforts should be made to realize them.
How to understand what you need and what you just want
In fact, we have already indicated in what ways this can be distinguished. But to make it easier for you, you can ask yourself the following questions:
- Can I live without this? For example, buying an expensive dress is not necessary. So, you can leave this desire and buy it when there are more material resources;
- What will this give me? Such a question helps explain to yourself the true nature of your obsession;
- Will I limit myself to this acquisition? It is important to understand here that your desires should not compete with your needs. Therefore, determine what is more priority for you.
Many people are not aware of their needs, so they often feel unhappy
What needs does a person have?
Man is one of the representatives of the animal world, with instincts and needs inherent in other species. At the same time, we have higher intelligence, feelings, and strong-willed qualities. This combination causes the presence of needs at two levels: basic and additional (primary and secondary).
Basic Needs
This group is vital for humans as a biological species. Basic needs are divided into two groups.
| Physiological | Existential |
| Breathing, nutrition, thirst, sleep, rest, procreation, housing. | Comfort, social and legal security, availability of employment, etc. |
Physiological basic needs must be satisfied first, since without them existence itself is impossible. The listed things and phenomena have been inherent in man since primitive times.
A person tries to make the process of satisfying basic needs more comfortable. If at the initial stage of the development of the human race animal skins served as clothing, today a whole industry is working to clothe us.
Basic needs can change with age in favor of the predominance of some over others. Sleep, for example, is more important for young children and older people, but in our youth we are able to get by with minimal hours of rest and still feel alert. Sex, as a primary need, can also, for a number of reasons, lose priority with age, but in adolescence it is a priority.
Questions often arise about security as a necessity for existence. Man has always experienced danger from phenomena in the surrounding world or from other people. A tsunami, a collapse of glaciers, an attack by wild animals or other tribes - all this forced a person to defend himself or run away. Over time, entire institutions were formed that were supposed to protect the individual from external incursions (army, police, Ministry of Emergency Situations). That is why safety is a primary need; we must understand that our lives and property are protected and protected.
The needs of existence (existence) appear as an individual grows up and determines his place in society.
Secondary needs
If a group of primary needs is necessary for survival and is laid down at the genetic level, then secondary needs determine a certain level of a person’s quality of life and come and are transformed with life experience.
Among the secondary needs in theory, the following are identified:
- Spiritual
. These include the need to obtain new knowledge about the world, the search for the meaning of life and one’s place in it, the development of creative abilities, and the desire for harmony. - Social
– love, friendship, interaction with other people, feeling part of society, a separate social group (class, work team, family). - Prestigious
. We are talking about the need for recognition of our successes, worthy self-esteem, respect from other members of the communities in which we belong.
Thus, primary needs are innate and determined by physiology, while secondary needs are psychological in nature and develop throughout life.
Signs of successful implementation of intentions
You can be sure that everything is going right if a person has the following traits:
- harmonious development;
- contact and understanding with nature and the surrounding world;
- respect, love for yourself and people;
- socialization;
- a firm and pragmatic approach to problem solving;
- individuality;
- the ability to experience deep feelings - love, strong friendship.
Types of needs
Needs can be classified on various grounds, of which there are quite a lot in the theory of psychology. The main types of division of needs are presented in the next section.
If we summarize all available theories, then we should distinguish three basic types of human needs.
Biological or physiological
Among the innate human needs laid down at the genetic level are the following:
- Food safety and taste characteristics.
- Comfortable external temperature and electromagnetic background.
- Clean water suitable for quenching thirst.
- Healthy ecology.
- Safety of life and home.
- Sexual satisfaction.
- Disposal of waste products.
These things are necessary for any living creature. This set of needs has practically not changed since the creation of the world, since from a physiological point of view, we are the same as millions of years ago. A person strives to realize them first and foremost and immediately.
Spiritual
Existential needs come from a system of universal human spiritual values, including: beauty, mercy, tranquility, harmony, peace, art. Each person has their own spiritual needs (as opposed to biological ones) and change over time and experience.
Among the spiritual needs are the following:
- The need for knowledge
. A mature person understands that in order to further grow, he must constantly learn. Moreover, expand the boundaries of existing skills and acquire new ones. People enter educational institutions to receive additional education, take advanced training courses, master new professions, and master the basics of painting and music. - The need for constant work on oneself, improving one’s personality (self-improvement)
. By satisfying this need, we quit smoking, go on a diet, get rid of toxic people and harmful emotions. A person thinks about how he would like to see himself after a certain period of time and strives for this. - The need for love and personal happiness
. The vast majority of people dream of having a loved one of the opposite sex nearby and creating a stable family. Many have been searching for many years, this need is so strong.
The realization of spiritual needs can be carried out through the simplest things. For example, a person goes into nature and sits with a fishing rod, fishing. At this time, he reflects, calms down, acquires spiritual harmony, satisfying his need for peace and making plans for the future.
Social
This type of needs is aimed at understanding one’s place in society and is associated with groups of people, social and economic activity.
Examples of social needs:
- Personal identification
. A person positions himself as a part of society with common traits inherent in society or a separate group. At the same time, he recognizes himself as an individual unit with a set of specific qualities and characteristics. - Self-affirmation
. We want to be satisfied with ourselves, with the actions and deeds that we perform. It is also important for a person to feel significant in society, to enjoy respect and approval from other people.
- Altruistic aspirations
. The individual takes pride in actions aimed at helping and assisting other people or living beings. He needs to be needed, useful, even in conditions of abandoning his own interests.
All of these types of needs are interpenetrating, they complement each other, some follow from others. For example, having satisfied the spiritual need to acquire a profession, we strive to achieve success in work for which we will be praised, and this is already a social need.
Meaning in human life
So, we have figured out what human needs are. But what is their significance in our lives? Let's figure it out.
Firstly, needs personify the personality itself. Therefore, their diversity allows us to say that the personality is versatile.
Secondly, needs influence the effectiveness of human activity. Psychology notes that they must be satisfied in the process of human activity. Therefore, when the concentration of the force of need is in the range of the “golden mean” (average strength), then human activity is most effective. When it is at a weak or strong level of so-called strength, then the work becomes ineffective.
Example. If a person has a need to realize himself as a leader, boss or adept in a specific field. But at the same time, he has been working for many years as a low-level employee, this is fraught with the following consequences. Firstly, he will not be satisfied with his work and life. Secondly, he will be deeply unhappy and aggressive towards others and himself. Thirdly, he develops a dislike for what is happening, cynicism. In general, such a person ceases to be healthy, since he cannot realize himself.
Human needs are satisfied in the process of his activities
Classifications of needs
Theoretical psychology offers many classifications of needs. We have already discussed one of them above: physiological, social and spiritual, these are the main groups of needs.
Foreign researchers did not so much classify needs as offer a specific list of them.
Examples:
- G. Murray
- achievements, aggression, independence, sex, creativity, understanding, respect, self-knowledge. - A. Pieron
- novelty, hedonism, communication, competition, mutual assistance and others (more than 20 types in total); - E. Fromm
- significance, self-affirmation, communication, affection, self-identification.
Some scientists have identified so-called neurotic needs as a separate group, the lack of satisfaction of which can lead to mental illness. These include: lack of social and interpersonal justice, the need for support and empathy, recognition, and possession.
In Russia, a classification of needs has been adopted, which divides them into the following levels:
- Based on the nature of the emergence of needs - natural and cultural
. - Depending on the area of application - communicative
(communication with other people),
cognitive
(the need to acquire new knowledge),
labor needs
, etc. - In relation to the object to which the need is directed - biological, material, spiritual and social
. - Correlating to their origin - endogenous
(determined by internal factors) and
exogenous
(depending on external conditions).
As we see, the number of human needs is numerous; today there is no complete list of them; there are only generalized groups and types. The most famous theory that places all types of human needs in order of priority is Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
The psychologist drew a whole pyramid, where needs are indicated in ascending order. This is what she looks like.
Maslow assured that until a person has satisfied the needs of the widest part of the pyramid, he will not strive to receive benefits from the higher levels. For example, if a person is hungry, then he has no time for public recognition. He considered hunger not only in relation to food, but also to sleep, thirst, sex, etc.
Maslow’s rule does not work in the opposite direction: an individual who has fulfilled the need for respect and recognition still needs food and sleep.
Why is it important to share your needs and wants?
In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand how needs differ from wants.
| Needs | Desires |
| 1. Needs are always constructive. Your needs always speak of importance, necessity for your normal functioning and life; 2. Needs are deep and fundamental; 3. They also allow you to find harmony with yourself. | 1. They are destructive. That is, desires can harm the development of personality and life. for example, drug addiction is a “want”, not a need; 2. Desires can be imposed by other people; 3. Desires can also be superficial. That is, they will not satisfy your true needs. |
Comparison of human needs and desires
Let's look at a specific example. So, you have an apartment in which you live. At the same time, you want to buy a dacha. But there is no money for it. This makes you irritated and angry with yourself. In this case, buying a summer house is a desire. On the contrary, if you have nowhere to live, then purchasing housing is a necessity.
So why is it important to differentiate between them? Firstly, this way you can properly distribute your energy and activities. Secondly, it will help you know yourself and other people better. Thirdly, it will allow you to set priorities correctly.
Formation of human needs
Taking into account the considered classification of needs, we can talk about the features of their formation. Basic physiological needs are innate, transmitted to us at the genetic level. A person lives with them until his death; without receiving them, he dies physically.
Such needs cannot be prohibited or imposed by force. Primary needs cannot be good or bad, pure or dirty. Only ways and methods of satisfying them can be considered unworthy. For example, a person uses a public space instead of a toilet.
Primary spiritual needs also appear with a person. The presence of love, close people, harmony, and self-realization in life are mandatory for his mental health. Of course, without the listed benefits, a person will not die, but he will be stuck in reflection and frustration for a long time.
Secondary needs are formed in an individual in several stages.
Infancy
All the physiological needs of the baby are provided by his parents. Since the child has contact with adults, social needs arise even before six months: he smiles, looks at rattles, identifies mother and father.
Earlier childhood
At about the age of 3 years, the baby develops an understanding of objects to satisfy needs - he realizes the need for toys, certain food, specific clothing. Cognitive needs grow, the child reads books, sculpts, draws, and actively explores the world.
Preschool period, primary school age
Children's social environment expands significantly. In addition to mothers and grandmothers, they have their own friends - children from kindergarten, class, yard or clubs where he begins to go. The need for communication, recognition, mutual assistance and understanding is formed.
Teenagers
At this age, the last physiological need is revealed - sexual. For the first time, such secondary needs as self-realization and self-improvement are formed. There is a sharp change and expansion of cognitive interests. A teenager strives to learn about those things and objects that he did not even think about in the early periods of his life.
On the basis of the formed sexual need, a need for a person of the opposite sex and romantic experiences appear. The need for communication is shifting towards peers and friends. Relatives fade into the background.
It is believed that by the end of adolescence, all the basic needs of a person have already been developed. Their further development occurs through changes in their content and methods of achievement.
Motive of behavior
The existence of needs is judged by a person’s deeds and behavior. Needs and aspirations are referred to as quantities that cannot be directly measured and observed. Researchers in the field of psychology have determined that certain needs motivate an individual to act. The feeling of need forces a person to act to satisfy needs.
Drive is defined as a lack of something that turns into a certain course of action and a person concentrates on achieving the result. The result in its final manifestation means a means to satisfy desire. If you achieve a certain goal, it may mean complete satisfaction, partial or incomplete. Then determine the ratio of primary and secondary needs and try to change the direction of the search, while leaving the motivation the same.
The amount of satisfaction obtained as a result of an activity leaves a mark on memory and determines the behavior of the individual in the future under similar circumstances. A person repeats those actions that caused the satisfaction of primary needs, and does not commit actions leading to failure to fulfill his plans. This law is called the law of result.
Managers in modern society model situations that allow people to feel satisfaction through behavior that benefits them. For example, a person in the process of production activity must imagine the completion of work in the form of a meaningful result. If the technological process is structured in such a way that the individual does not see the final result of the work, this will lead to the disappearance of interest in the activity, violation of discipline and absenteeism. This rule requires the administration to develop the production sector in such a way that technology does not conflict with human needs.
The Nature of Human Desires
In a broad sense, needs are defined as a source of activity and a form of communication between a living organism and the outside world.
Human social needs are the desires and aspirations inherent in the individual as a representative of the human race.
Humanity is a social system, without which personal development is impossible. A person is always part of a community of people. By fulfilling social aspirations and desires, he develops and manifests himself as a personality.
Belonging to a human society determines the emergence of human social needs. They are experienced as desires, drives, aspirations, brightly colored emotionally. They form the motives of activity and determine the direction of behavior, replacing each other as some desires are realized and others are actualized.
Biological desires and nature of people are expressed in the need to maintain vital activity and the optimal level of functioning of the body. This is achieved by satisfying a need for something. People, like animals, have a special form of satisfying all types of biological needs - unconscious instincts.
The question of the nature of needs remains controversial in the scientific community. Some scientists reject the social nature of desires and drives, while others ignore the biological basis.
