The 6 human needs that all human beings are seeking to fulfill daily. What motivates you?

"Every single person in this world has these same six needs, but each of us values these needs in different ways, and each of us have varied beliefs about what it means to satisfy those needs." - Tony Robbins

Everyone sees and experiences the world their own unique way, through different filters that are formed based on desires, beliefs, values and fears.

We all have same basic needs that motivate us to do every single thing in our life that we do.

No matter how different our values and beliefs are, we are all same in seeking to fulfill same 6 human needs:

🌀certainty

🌀uncertainty/variety

🌀significance

🌀love/connection

🌀growth

🌀contribution

We all have 6 human needs to fulfill, however we tend to value 2 human needs more than others. And based on which human needs we value the most depends the quality of our lives.

Need #1 - Certainty.

Key words: comfort, security, safety, stability, feeling grounded, predictability, protection, known, sameness.

We all want to feel safe, have something to eat, have a roof over head, avoid pain and feel comfortable. Don’t we?

Everyone from infant to elderly person needs certainty. However everyone’s level of certainty varies. For example, one feel safe living in one room and having regular minimal salary and another one feel certain by making millions of dollars.

Examples of how people may fulfill their need for certainty:

- cleaning house, doing some kind of routine

- having same job, stable income

- having same home

- having certain routines

- avoiding new situations

- looking for familiar experiences

- having a sense of control, predictability over what you are doing

There are also negative ways how people can fulfill their need for certainty:

- overeating

- smoking

- taking recreational drugs

- trying to control other people

- experiencing certain negative emotions over and over again

- having bad habits

- anxiety

I fulfill my need for certainty by having a home 🏠, running (something that is always there for me), going to vacations that familiar to me (same hotel, same place), morning routine (meditation, journaling, reading), tracking food.

Need #2 - Uncertainty/Variety

Key words: fear, instability, change, chaos, entertainment, exploration, exertion, surprise, conflict, crisis, adventure, unknown.

When life becomes same routine, no changes in relationship, same location, same work or getting tired from easting same food we get bored and tired from all that sameness, and here comes uncertainty and variety. It adds excitement, variation. We want to try something new, experience variety of emotions, have colder and warmer weather, we want even rain sometimes, don't we?

Some people like taking high risks, create and take challenges, others create problems out of boredom or get into arguments.

Negative ways of fulfilling this need: addictions, instability, ungrounded, danger.

"Would you like to know your future?If your answer is yes, think again. Not knowing is the greatest life motivator. So enjoy, endure, survive each moment as it comes to you in its proper sequence - a surprise." - Vera Nazarian

Need #3 - Significance

Key words: importance, acknowledgment, pride, performance. achievement, perfection. discipline, competition, rejection, standards.

Significance is about "I matter'. Everyone wants attention, everyone wants to feel needed, wanted and important.

In families siblings compete with each other to show parents who is better, so they can get attention and praise. People compare each other and compete to feel significant.

From positive side significance helps raise standards and get better, improve.

Some people when they can't fulfill their need for significance in positive or neutral ways, they try negative ways by becoming the worst in something, so they can get a respect and attention they need.

We can fulfill our need f0r significance by creating something new or destroying something.

Negative: low self-esteem, attention getting, egotistical, dependent on material sources.

Need #4 - Love/Connection

Key words: appreciation, friendship, romantic love, selfceare, passion, desire, communication.

We all want to experience love and connect with other human beings in one or another way. Child without human touch may die. The need to be loved and connected is very important for every person. Some people want to devote their life and find sense and purpose in it.

Negative: dependent on other love, sense of never being satisfied, unable to receive without giving back, unable to give.

Need #5 - Growth

Key words: expansion, development, evolution, improvement.

In nature everything either grow or die. We must constantly learn, grow and develop ourselves. It gives a sense of being alive. We change emotionally and learn from our experience during our lifetime.

Every single thing that we want to maintain, grow or improve in our life must be worked on and given attention, wether it is money, garden, health, relationship, friendship, love, career, etc. If nothing will be done, it will degenerate. The need to grow can be satisfied by working out (running, biking, strength training, etc), by reading and listening books, listening to podcasts, participating in self development workshops, constantly learning and studying something.

Negative: boredom, sense of impatience with what is right now, never feeling complete, doubting one's strength, abilities and knowledge.

Need #6 - Contribution

Key words: giving, believing in others, helping, serving.

This need goes beyond personal needs and focus on giving to others. It can be done as volunteering, community service, planting trees, taking care of environment, all kinds of donations, writing a book or some helpful articles, sharing one's experience.

Negative: when contribution is only one area of life, when it drains giver, martyrdom.

First 4 needs are fundamental and necessary for everyone, however last 2 are the ones that makes us fulfilled.

As you are reading this post, it gets clearer to you that our actions, whether they are good, neutral or bad, are all driven by our motivation to fulfill our human needs.

For example, I run because running fulfills my all 6 human needs; I go for vacations, because it fulfills my needs for certainty, variety and love/connection; I learn, because it fulfills my needs for growth, significance and when I share my experience with the world — contribution.

How do you fulfill your 6 human needs? Do you fulfill them in good, neutral or bad way?

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