A need is a necessity, a need for something for human life. There is a variety of types of human needs. Considering them, it's easy to see that there are those without which life is simply impossible. Others are not so important and one can easily do without them. In addition, all people are different and their needs are also different. There are several classifications of the types of individual needs.
The first to understand this question and to identify the role of human needs was Abraham Maslow. He called his teaching a "hierarchical theory of needs" and depicted in the form of a pyramid. The psychologist gave a definition of the concept and classified the types of needs. He structured these species, arranging them in an ascending order from the biological (primary) and spiritual (secondary).
- Primary - it's innate needs, they are aimed at the realization of physiological needs (breathing, food, sleep)
- Secondary - is acquired, social (love, communication, friendship) and spiritual needs (self-expression, self-realization).
These types of Maslow's needs are interrelated. Secondary can appear only if the lower needs are met. That is, a person can not develop in the spiritual plan if his physiological needs are not developed.
The later classification was based on the first version, but slightly improved. According to this classification, the following types of needs in psychology were identified:
- Organic - related to the development of the personality and its self-preservation. They include a large number of needs, such as oxygen, water, food. These needs are present not only in humans, but also in animals.
- Material - assume the use of products created by people. This category includes housing, clothing, transportation, that is all that a person needs for everyday life, work, recreation.
- Social. This kind of human needs is related to the person's life position, authority and the need for communication. The individual exists in society and depends on the people around him. This communication diversifies life and makes it safer.
- Creative. This type of human need is the satisfaction of artistic, technical, scientific activity. There are a lot of people in the world who live by creativity, if you forbid them to create they wither away, their lives will lose all meaning.
- Moral and mental development. This includes all types of spiritual needs and implies the growth of the cultural and psychological characteristics of the individual. A person strives to become moral and morally responsible. This often contributes to its involvement in religion. Psychological development and moral perfection become the dominant for a person who has reached a high level of development.
In addition, the following characteristic of the types of needs is applied in psychology:
- holistic and fragmentary needs. In a holistic form, there are three sides of the need: objective need, a sense of lack and an incentive tension. Fragmentary are those in which one of these components is absent;
- lower and higher. The lower are the natural needs of man, the higher are spiritual
- psychological and physiological. The psychological need for acceptance, in communication. Physiological aims to meet life needs;
- basic and no. Basic - the main types of needs, without which existence is impossible, and without the basic ones you can do without.
- real and fictitious. Real needs are healthy, adequate requests. Fictitious - these are those in which there is no particular need, the person himself imagines unrealistic, untimely needs.
Understanding your needs, you will never go wrong, that you really need life, and that is only a minute weakness or a whim.