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Database of Individual Needs (100 Entries)

Individual needs are things that are required for a person to thrive in life to their full potential. This includes basic physiological needs such as water all the way up to needs related to self-fulfillment and getting the most out of life.

All (101)

Self-Actualization (21)

Esteem Needs (28)

Belonging (19)

Safety (19)

Physiological Needs (14)

Acceptance	Achievement
Aesthetic Life	Air
Altruism	Becoming a Role Model
Being Trusted	Building Relationships
Clean Environment	Clothes
Community Involvement	Community Safety
Confidence	Connection to Nature
Creative Expression	Cultural Identity
Cultured Living	Emergency Preparedness
Emergency Services	Emotional Security
Environmental Safety	Ethics & Morality
Family	Family Inclusion
Financial Security	Food
Forgiveness	Freedom
Freedom of Movement	Friendship
Goal Setting	Having Opinions Valued
Having a Voice In Things	Health
Healthcare	Heat
Imagination	Inclusion In Peer Groups
Independence	Intimacy
Job Security	Life Balance
Life Experiences	Meeting People
Mental Well-being	Mindfulness
Non-judgmental Environments	Overcoming Fears
Pensions	People Who Are On Your Side
Personal Growth	Personal Hygiene
Personal Reflection	Personal Security
Physical Activity	Playing a Role In Things
Positive Feedback	Positive Self-image
Protection From Crime	Purpose and Meaning
Pursuit of Curiosity	Pursuit of Happiness
Recognition	Reproduction
Resilience	Respect From Others
Safe Housing	Safe Transportation
Sanitation	Savings
Self-Acceptance	Self-Awareness
Self-Confidence	Self-Discipline
Self-Discovery	Self-Fulfillment
Self-Improvement	Self-Respect
Sense of Belonging	Sense of Competence
Shared Experiences	Shelter
Sleep	Social Bonding
Social Groups	Social Identity
Social Inclusion	Social Safety
Social Security	Social Status
Social Support	Socialization
Spirituality	Taking on Responsibilities
Talents	Temperate Environment
Transcendence	Validation From Others
Water	Winning Competitions
Workplace Safety

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

The needs above are based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, a model dating back to the 1940s that places individual needs into a series of levels. The basic idea is that it is difficult to move higher in the pyramid without satisfying your more basic needs lower in the pyramid.

This theory predicts that if you are struggling to secure the basics of life, you won't have the resources to pursue higher level needs such as aesthetic life.

This theory is certainly not technically true in any sense. For example, people experiencing poverty may turn to religion to find direction, compassion and community when religion is a top level need in the model.

However, this theory is massively popular and well-known for a reason as it communicates an important idea -- a social group that provides for the basic needs of people allows people to pursue things like self-improvement and creativity that are likely to lift society up.

Needs vs Wants

A common alternative to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is that there are things that you truly need and things that you only want. This is a common exercise in primary school, where students are asked to sort things into "need" and "want" categories.

It could be argued that this exercise makes no sense whatsoever. Wants are things that fulfill needs. You need water so you want a drink. You need social inclusion so you want friends. You need self-confidence so you want trendy running shoes.

People can surely develop poor strategies for getting what they need. However, wants and needs aren't opposites -- a want is an attempt to fulfill a need.

The needs vs wants exercise is designed to instill values related to austerity or minimalism whereby students are told that things that they want aren't truly necessary such that they should focus on things they need.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs presents a different type of message. Yes, you should secure your most basic needs first -- but then what? For example, if you have safety and security, it's time to make sure you have social support. If you have social support, move on to self-esteem and self-actualization such as spirituality, life experience and creative expression. These aren't simply things you want -- they are true needs.

Shortfalls of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A common mistake in life is to wait until you have one problem solved before you move on to the rest of your life. Life is too short for this.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a useful model for thinking about how fulfilling one need might allow you to move on to greater things. However, it would be a bad idea to wait around for things in one area without moving on in others. For example, if you can't get your social life moving keep working on your talents, cultural life, dreams and adventures.

Different aspects of your life may play off of each other in unexpected ways.

Next read: Human Experience

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