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38 Examples of Social Needs

John Spacey, November 13, 2021

Social needs are interactions and relationships with other people that are beneficial to an individual's quality of life. These differ by person but humans are considered inherently social such that all people have social needs. The following are common examples.

Affection	Belonging
Bonding	Coaches
Collaboration	Competition
Comradery	Cooperation
Culture	Decision Support
Empathy	Expressing Emotion
Expressing Ideas	Feedback
Friendship	Humor
Inclusion	Intimacy
Knowledge of Performance	Knowledge of Results
Language Acquisition	Love
Mentors	Norms
Play	Recognition
Respect	Rites of Passage
Safety	Shared Experience
Shared Meaning	Social Status
Sympathy	Teachers
Teamwork	Verbal Communication
Visual Communication	Wit

Bonding is the process of forming a close emotional connection with another person. For example, young children have a need to bond with their parents or guardians.

People may have a need for teachers, coaches and mentors as this is a social means to transfer knowledge and to cultivate cultural capital.

Humans appear to naturally enjoy competition such that this can be viewed as a need. For example, the need to play competitive games and sports.

Comradery is a durable social relationship that is forged with shared hardship. For example, coworkers who have survived an extremely difficult project together may emerge with much mutual respect and meaningful shared experiences.

Cultures are aspects of life that emerge with the shared experiences of groups. This can be contrasted with a society that may be controlled by a bureaucratic elite. People need culture as it encapsulates many of the things that make life enjoyable and meaningful.

Knowledge of results is feedback based on real world results. This is often a social or competitive process. For example, a public speaker who obtains feedback about their ideas by gauging the reaction of their audience.

Knowledge of performance is feedback that is independent of results. For example, a figure skating coach who tells you that your form is off.

Language acquisition is largely a social process whereby people learn language by speaking with others. Language is a building block of thought that offers a great many abstract concepts that represent knowledge and heritage.

Play is a need that is important to childhood development. For example, rough and tumble play that builds physical confidence, coordination and character traits such as courage.

Rites of passage are events that mark an individual's transitions through life such as a graduation, wedding or retirement.

Shared experience is anything that you do with other people. For example, watching a movie with someone as opposed to alone.

Shared meaning is the ability to share ideas with others. For example, the shared values of a culture.

Some people strongly desire respect, recognition and social status and may deeply care how others are thinking about them. Others may transcend these needs. In a person's development it is common to have periods where you care what others think of you.

38 Examples of Social Needs

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