mReflections #0028
The world changed as civilisations evolved. But the basic human needs have remained consistent from the Stone age to the Information age. We have found creative ways to meet them, yet we continue struggling with them. Getting in touch with my needs helps me understand my humanity and leaves me vulnerable.
We all have mind maps to make sense of what drives human behaviour. I am sharing my list and related insights to start a meaningful conversation. This list is inspired by the recent certification workshop I did with Reflexive Lens Consulting (https://eumlens.in/)
1. Safety — The need to be free of fear and find space to explore. This was your mother's lap when you were less than a year old or a warm hug with your partner after a long, hard day. When unmet, this need can leave you feeling empty and restless. When over-deployed, this need can lead to behaviour that is self-preservative.
2. Self-Expression — The need to create and leave one’s mark in this world. This is the artist, entrepreneur or activist in you seeking freedom from the set structures of comfort. When unmet, this need can lead to aimless ambition and rebellion without a cause. When over-deployed, this need can lead to self-delusional behaviour.
3. Certainty — The need for stability and predictability in one’s life and surroundings. This is the part of you which seeks routines, creates rituals and repeats patterns. This need can lead to feeling lost in the chaotic world and desperately hanging onto the familiar when unmet. When over-deployed, this need can lead to rigidity in behaviour and actions.
4. Meaning — The need to identify oneself with something more significant. This is the part of you which seeks purpose and wishes to lose the sense of time and space. When unmet, this need can lead to feeling the burden of one’s unrealised potential. This need can lead to blind pursuits and a fragmented sense of self when over-deployed.
5. Connection — The need to communion with like-minded people, nature and self. This is the part of you that yearns for free-flowing conversations in social groups, solo retreats in the Himalayas or prays for the victory of your favourite sports team. When unmet, this need can lead to feeling constricted and constrained in one’s small world. When over-deployed, this need can lead to righteous and exclusionary behaviour.
All these needs co-exist and are present all the time. They can also conflict with each other and lead to hard choices. Due to our life experiences, we tend to suppress some of these and/or over-relying on others.
I would love to hear your reflections on what got evoked you as you related this in your life. What are the areas of flow and challenge for you? And if you are up for it, you can also block a slot for a 30 min online connect — https://book.vimcal.com/p/b697b725d1c1b77b67f70929
