What Is a Need?
A need is a source of motivation in our psychology. Some are basic needs, such as the need for food, water, and shelter, that are necessary for basic survival. Other needs are related to emotional wellfare and social connection. And there are higher-level needs, such as the needs for creativity, self-actualization, a sense of meaning, and spirituality. It may be easier to understand what needs are by looking at the list of needs.
Needs are a central concept in Maslow’s famous Hierarchy of Needs. There are additional models, such as ERG theory, and by other researchers, such as Henry Murray, David McClelland, and Manfred Max-Neef. Needs are also a central concept in the field of Compassionate Communication.
Universality
Needs are universal – all people have them. However, needs manifest themselves differently in different people.
One difference between people is the degree to which a need is important to them. E.g. for some people the need for freedom is very strong, while in others it’s not as strong, while the need for security is stronger.
Another difference is the specific ways by which people try to meet their needs. For example, one person may try to satisfy their need for security by accumulating a lot of money, while another person might try to satisfy the same need by getting married, or having a lot of friends, or being very suspicious of new people.
So different people have different desires, wants, and wishes. But the motivation behind all of those is to satisfy needs.
The Connection Between Needs and Wellbeing
The connection between needs and wellbeing is this:
The level of an individual’s wellbeing is determined by the extent that the individual’s needs are satisfied.
For some aspects of wellbeing, this connection exists by definition. For example, a high level of physical wellbeing means, among other things, that the individual’s body is healthy, well-rested, and fed with healthy nutritious food. These are in fact some of the human needs at the physical level.
For other aspects of wellbeing, the connection is more complex. For example, a high level of emotional wellbeing means that most of the time, the individual experiences pleasant emotions such as joy, satisfaction, and enjoyment. These emotions are indicators that some important needs are being met. Conversely, a low level of emotional wellbeing means that the individual often experiences unpleasant emotions such as sadness, anger, and fear. These emotions are indicators that some important needs are not being met.
A List of Needs
See here.