6 Basic Human Needs

We're all familiar with the cliche that money cannot buy happiness, but I'm convinced that almost everybody has to learn that lesson the hard way because let's face it; money is simply a vehicle for trying to meet our needs, almost all of which are not financial. Anthony Robbins is a master in enriching the soul of others by adding value to them, thus ensuring that they will have a better life by making their goal fulfilled, in every book he wrote or any presentation he made he is sharing his six basic human needs that we have to be aware of them so we could be fulfilled, and those six basic human needs are as below:

Need No. 1: Certainty/Comfort

The first human need is the need for Certainty. It’s our need to feel in control and to know what’s coming next so we can feel secure. It’s the need for basic comfort, the need to avoid pain and stress, and also to create pleasure. Our need for certainty is a survival mechanism. It affects how much risk we’re willing to take in life—in our jobs, in our investments, and in our relationships. The higher the need for certainty, the less risk you’ll be willing to take or emotionally bear.

Need No. 2: Uncertainty/Variety

We all like the surprises we want. The ones you don’t want, you call them problems! But you still need them to put some muscle in your life. You can’t grow muscle—or character—unless you have something to push back against.

Need 3: Significance

We all need to feel important, special, unique, or needed. So how do some of us get significance? You can get it by earning billions of dollars, or collecting academic degrees—distinguishing yourself with a master’s or a PhD. You can get significance by having more or bigger problems than anybody else.

Spending a lot of money can make you feel significant, and so can spending very little. We all know people who constantly brag about their bargains, or who feel special because they heat their homes with cow manure and sunlight.

Need No. 4: Love & Connection

Love is the oxygen of life; it’s what we all want and need most. When we love completely we feel alive, but when we lose love, the pain is so great that most people settle on connection, the crumbs of love. You can get that sense of connection or love through intimacy, or friendship, or prayer, or walking in nature.

These first four needs are what I call the needs of the personality. We all find ways to meet these—whether by working harder, coming up with a big problem, or creating stories to rationalize them. The last two are the needs of the spirit. These are more rare—not everyone meets these. When these needs are met, we truly feel fulfilled.

Need No. 5: Growth

If you’re not growing, you’re dying. If a relationship is not growing, if a business is not growing, if you’re not growing, it doesn’t matter how much money you have in the bank, how many friends you have, how many people love you—you’re not going to experience real fulfillment. And the reason we grow, I believe, is so we have something of value to give.

Need No. 6: Contribution

Corny as it may sound, the secret to living is giving. Life’s not about me; it’s about we. Think about it, what’s the first thing you do when you get good or exciting news? You call somebody you love and share it. Sharing enhances everything you experience.

Life is really about creating meaning. And meaning does not come from what you get, it comes from what you give. Ultimately it’s not what you get that will make you happy long term, but rather who you become and what you contribute will.

Tony Robbins shares "But here’s what I truly believe: if you value Significance above all else, money will always leave you empty unless it comes from a contribution you’ve made. And if you’re looking for significance from money, it’s a high price to pay. You’re looking for big numbers but it’s unlikely you’ll find big fulfilment."

The ultimate significance in life comes not from something external, but from something internal.

Those six Basic Human Needs had inspired me when I was the President of Intilaaqah Toastmasters club and made me completely fulfilled, and the below article is the one that I have wrote at Intilaaqah newsletter 2016 edition as a welcome massage.