What are basic needs? This is what you need to be happy

What are basic needs? This is what you need to be happy

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Your eyes are heavy, you feel dead tired. Your stomach is growling, you are irritable and you feel a real hole in your stomach. We all know how it feels when our basic physical needs come to us.

We are all human. And we all strive to satisfy our vital needs. But is it enough for us to be full and well-rested? Do we perhaps have other basic needs that are important to us?

In this article , social psychologist and conflict researcher Prof. Dr. Ulrich Wagner explains what it takes to be happy and how the violation of our basic human needs can lead to conflicts.

What are basic needs?

"Apart from the most basic physical needs such as those for food and relaxation, we also have other basic psychological needs. These include the needs for security, connection with others, appreciation, knowledge and self-actualization," says Prof. Dr. Wagner.

Our expert continues: "Sometimes people also develop very individual basic needs that are important to them. If we can fulfill these to some extent, it makes us happy. Conversely, however, this also means that when basic needs are violated, for example in conflicts , we try to satisfy these violated basic needs. This can contribute greatly to the escalation of conflicts."

"What needs are important to us at a particular moment also depends on the situation," says Prof. Dr. Wagner. "Not every basic psychological need is equally important to every person. We have different ideas about what we need to be happy. One person wants to satisfy their need for knowledge and therefore travel the world. Another person's need for security is more important and therefore prefers to stay in the same place."

Why are basic needs so important?

While we are confronted with our physical needs, the situation is somewhat different with other needs. "We find it difficult to ignore tiredness or a growling stomach, for example, because they make themselves known quite clearly. When other basic needs are not met or are at risk, it is often not so clear. We get the feeling that something is wrong. Our mood worsens and we look for explanations," says our expert.

Whether psychological or physical, our needs can control our actions and the way we deal with other people, often unconsciously. Prof. Dr. Wagner explains: "When two people have a conflict in which one or more of the other person's basic needs are violated, the conflict tends to escalate . The violation of a basic need is often sparked by a superficial event or misunderstanding. One wrong word, which may not even be meant that way, and the other side feels violated in their need for security, connection with others, appreciation or another important basic need, sometimes without being aware of it or being able to say exactly what is hurting them. The conflicting parties are then often surprised themselves why the conflict is becoming more and more aggressive."

What those involved in the conflict often do not realize is that successful and fair conflict resolution also involves identifying the underlying violated basic needs of the parties and trying to find solutions that are compatible with the basic needs of all those involved.

Understanding what basic needs are important to other people can help defuse conflict, sometimes even avoid it, and make the world a more peaceful place. Try to identify your own basic needs by thinking about the situations in which you feel particularly comfortable and why that is.


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