Each inhabitant of our vast planet has its own basic needs, even the simplest ones - single-celled ones. If all the needs experienced are not met, the creature will not be able to function normally, feel comfort and enjoy life. Humanity has a significant number of requests that must be fulfilled in a timely manner in order to continue to live. In this article I will talk in detail about the physiological needs of a person and give a detailed definition of what they are.
What are physiological needs
Human physiological needs are the most important driver of behavior for both individuals and entire nations. We know from history how, fleeing hunger, tribes on barren lands went to war against their neighbors, recapturing their fields and livestock. The thirst of those lost in the desert could push them to kill if another person stood between them and the water. Therefore, no one will argue about the importance of these human needs. However, fortunately, people do not live only by them. Otherwise, absolutely nothing would distinguish us from animals living by instincts. What, besides food and water, does a person need? Let's look below.
Advantages and disadvantages
As is easy to see, the pyramid of needs is not just a classification of them, but reflects a certain hierarchy: instinctive needs, basic, sublime. Every person experiences all these desires, but the following pattern comes into force here: basic needs are considered dominant, and higher-order needs are activated only when the basic ones are satisfied. But it should be understood that needs can be expressed completely differently for each person. And this happens at any level of the pyramid. For this reason, a person must correctly understand his desires, learn to interpret them and adequately satisfy them, otherwise he will constantly be in a state of dissatisfaction and disappointment. By the way, Abraham Maslow took the position that only 2% of all people reach the fifth stage.
What are your true needs and motives? Find out in the Self-Knowledge course.
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What needs does a person have besides physiological? Maslow's pyramid
This concept is interpreted differently in many branches of science. The famous American psychologist A. Maslow even created the so-called “pyramid of needs”. This is a unique model of human motivation. This pyramid has gained enormous popularity; it was literally taken brick by brick by marketers, psychologists and psychiatrists, advertising creators and management luminaries. However, the professor himself never used it to explain his theories. He considered the physiological needs of a person to be leading only when they were pathologically dissatisfied. Simply put, food becomes the main thing for a person during its (possibly long) absence. If the individual is full, then that need gives way to higher and more valuable ones.
At the heart of the diagram we see human physiological needs, such as hunger and thirst, as well as key sexual instincts (or libidinal, as the great Freud called them).
Safety comes second. The concept is somewhat vague, it includes the well-known concept of comfort, coziness, stability of the habitat (home), protection from external factors and possible enemies. And only in third place are social needs, that is, a person will think about their satisfaction after satiation and being in comfort. That is, the physiological need is key. After social ones (communication, care, general affairs), the fourth level of the diagram depicts the so-called “prestigious”, or needs for prestige, that is, for respect and self-esteem (whether these concepts are related or not, we’ll let psychologists figure it out). The crown of the pyramid is spiritual needs.
What other needs are there besides biological?
The creator of the pyramid of values, A. Maslow, considered the physiological need to be leading in something. This unique table in the form of a triangle gained great popularity, and psychologists, marketers, advertising specialists and management professionals immediately began to use it in their activities.
The basis of the pyramid is made up of biological needs, which I listed in detail above, the second step is occupied by the need for security (the presence of comfort, coziness, stable work). At the third level there are social values (communication, being in the spotlight). The fourth stage consists of prestigious needs - respect, recognition, self-sufficiency and independence. And the last level is spiritual values (art, creativity).
Why do you need to satisfy physiological needs?
Satisfaction of needs according to Maslow comes from the bottom up. That is, only with the most complete satisfaction of the lower level is a transition to the highest possible. The spiritual and social development of a person is important, but in the grip of hunger he simply will not have time for them. These schemes were used by tyrants and generals in ancient powers even before our era. Hungry people are easier to manage than well-fed people. The unsatisfied physiological needs of the human body prevented him from thinking, much less striving for freedom or independence. Fortunately, tyranny and the slave system have been almost eradicated today, but marketers and creators (creators of advertising) have taken possession of the truly magical secret pyramid. They construct their texts by appealing to the lower instincts of man.
Theory and practice
According to many modern psychologists, despite the fact that Maslow’s pyramid is a clearly structured model, it is quite difficult to apply it in practice, and the scheme itself can lead to completely incorrect generalizations. If we put all the statistics aside, a number of questions immediately arise. For example, how dark is the existence of a person who is not recognized in society? Or, should a person who is systematically malnourished be considered absolutely hopeless? After all, in history you can find hundreds of examples of how people achieved enormous results in life precisely because their needs remained unsatisfied. Take, for example, poverty or unrequited love.
According to some reports, Abraham Maslow subsequently abandoned the theory he put forward, and in his subsequent works (“Towards the Psychology of Being” (1962), “The Far Limits of Human Nature” (1971)), the concept of personal motivation was significantly refined. And the pyramid, which many specialists in the field of psychology and marketing are trying to find application for today, has generally lost all meaning.
Physiological needs of the child
Why are we given physiological needs? The answer is simple - for survival. Without these needs, we simply would not be able to survive and live. A person is already born with these needs. This can be seen especially clearly in the example of newborns. Eating for a baby is usually caused by a demanding loud cry. And this is understandable, the child cannot say or demand what is necessary in any other way. The baby’s key needs are food, maternal warmth (which replaces several needs of our pyramid at once: safety and social contact), good sleep and normal well-being. When these needs of the child are met, we will get a calm, smiling child who wants to play and see something interesting; when dissatisfied - a continuously screaming and crying lump, reminiscent of a wounded animal.
Hierarchy of values
Abraham Maslow, the creator of the pyramid of needs (you will learn about it in detail by clicking here), believed that all of the above needs are leading only at the moment when their dissatisfaction is felt. The rest of the time, the individual is more concerned about material and spiritual values.
For example, do you think about how you breathe? Just like that, solving work issues and doing everyday things? Do you pay attention to this vital process until difficulties arise that prevent you from inhaling and exhaling? If you don’t meditate, or don’t try to perform techniques to calm yourself, then it’s unlikely. As long as there is no lack of oxygen, attention will be focused on other tasks.
Physiological needs of an adult
The needs of an adult repeat the needs of a child in everything, only one more particularly important instinct is added to them - reproduction (sexual, libidinal). This “basic instinct,” if dissatisfied, can turn a person into a real aggressor. With adequate hormonal background, of course. Nowadays, due to environmental pollution, poor nutrition and other factors, this need is muted for many. However, there are also people for whom it exceeds other needs, which pushes them to crime. Fortunately, there are only a few of them, and they most likely have a history of psychiatric pathologies.
As for healthy people, where this physiological need is in its rightful place, it is worth saying that it is wrong to both underestimate its importance and exaggerate it. The latter is characteristic of cinema and pop stars, who appeal with their appearance and creativity to this ancient instinct. A healthy, appropriate attitude is very important here. Intimate relationships are important for a person, but this does not mean that you need to indulge in them at every opportunity. The ideal option is marriage or a stable relationship with a loved one.
Identification and development of needs
Any task is formed in stages, in several steps. With a healthy psyche, the main ideas are formed at an early stage - before the age of 18-20, then an independent, holistic personality appears. If a child develops slowly and does not realize what he wants, the question of developmental disabilities can be raised.
It is worth noting that most people experience various kinds of changes throughout their lives. This is due to new tasks - this is normal. If a woman does not understand what motivates her, why she makes decisions that are not typical for her, then she has not recognized her own new desires.
In such cases, contact me, I will help you understand yourself. After my consultation, you will feel a surge of strength, analyze your own motives, set goals and realize them.
So, any task is formed in two stages:
- An ideal entity appears - a unique condition for achieving the set goals. This ideal for activity is gradually becoming more specific and acquiring logical features.
- The concept is transformed into a concrete form and is realized. It begins to move intentions and actions.
Let me give you an example. A person first feels emptiness, a desire to get closer to others. Then he realizes that this feeling is a need for love. And only when full awareness occurs, this goal contributes to the emergence of the task - to find a beloved man/woman in order to realize one’s own intentions.
Food. How to prevent a need from becoming an addiction
Hunger and thirst, as we said above, were even the cause of wars and the nomadic life of our ancient ancestors. Fortunately, in civilized countries the concept of famine is familiar only from history textbooks. In popular culture, the other extreme is promoted - constant weight loss, pills to reduce appetite, health-improving fasting have become fashionable and popular things. But people who are led by advertising are often not aware that fighting the cornerstones laid down by nature is fraught with consequences for both physical and psychological health. Against the backdrop of the mass pursuit of the ideal body, clinical cases of bulimia (a mental or physiological disorder characterized by a constant desire to eat) and anorexia (refusal of food due to psychological personality disorders) are increasingly emerging. It is worth remembering that an unsatisfied need in the body can become addiction and mania.
Substitution
Biological needs, although they are very different in meaning and significance from the others, cannot be considered as separate. They are closely related to the desire to receive love, recognition, to show their independence, etc. Remember those same babies who require the breast, sometimes just to feel the closeness of their mother, to experience the reassurance that they are safe.
Have you heard about mental illnesses such as bulimia and anorexia? Modern society promotes the need to have an ideal body, which is why various weight loss products are actively and aggressively advertised everywhere. Sometimes success and intellectual abilities equal a beautiful appearance. This makes itself felt by the formed false stereotype. That only in excellent physical shape and a well-ironed suit can a person generate brilliant ideas and manage people.
So, when, thanks to diets, the digestion process is disrupted, if only because food rarely enters the body, disturbances also occur in a person’s ability to recognize the feeling of hunger. At times of stress, some people refuse food, some, on the contrary, abuse it in order to be distracted and switch. They try to “sweeten” their life with baking. Use large volumes to fill the feeling of “inner emptiness.”
The relationship with food may well develop into addiction, when it is difficult to control and limit yourself. Especially in moments of increased anxiety, restlessness, and dissatisfaction. This is why it is so important to be attentive to yourself and eat when you really feel hungry. And not just a desire to experience joy or calm down.
Healthy sleep as the most important need
Sleep is on a par with the needs for food and water, satisfaction of the sexual instinct and breathing. However, many downplay its importance, which is done in vain. The example of Napoleon, who slept several hours a day, will fade if we remember the unstable psyche and panic attacks of this historical character. Do you want to experience these “joys” for yourself? Hardly. Lack of sleep deprives us of psychological comfort, lowers the pain threshold (makes us more sensitive to pain), and negatively affects performance. An unsatisfied physiological need for sleep can even lead to visual and auditory hallucinations. Moreover, a sleep-deprived person working with machinery or transport can be deadly to those around him during the microsleep phase (a phenomenon when a person’s brain, which has not known rest or sleep for a long time, “turns off” for a split second).
Explanation of concepts
Biological needs are the most significant and valuable, as they ensure life. Even a slight denial of satisfaction can lead to negative consequences (illness, organ system disorders, weakness, death).
A need is a request that must be immediately fulfilled in order for the individual to feel good:
- felt protected;
- was important to others;
- functioned normally without any disruptions to the body;
- achieved goals and made dreams come true;
- felt satisfied.
Human physical needs are a type of need, failure to fulfill which leads to loss of life. If a person cannot support them, he will lose the opportunity to achieve goals, and if they are not satisfied at all, diseases and dysfunctions of the body will appear, which will lead to unnamed death (this does not apply to the desire for procreation).
Examples of biological queries:
- eating high-calorie foods for energy and sustenance;
- rest and sleep;
- air;
- liquid;
- desires of a sexual nature and procreation.
They are the lowest needs. They are required to be performed not only by human beings, but also by representatives of the entire animal world, even insects. However, in the simplest organisms this list is not so large.
General information
Purely theoretically, in the event of the death of civilization and the loss of what has been created by man over thousands of years of existence, from all the requests that are currently important (spiritual, creative, social), physiological needs will remain the most paramount, that is, only what is inherent in the animal to the world.
No matter how important spiritual and cultural values are for a person, it is vital for him to restore strength and activity: sleep, eat, drink, breathe. The level of created goods loses its meaning without satisfying natural basic needs.
