7.602 billion.
Any idea what this massive number signifies?
If you guessed correctly before reading ahead, good for you. I have to say I’m impressed. I regret to inform you, but I’m not going to send you a trophy or a cookie or anything for that matter. You can give yourself a nice pat on the back, though!
7.602 billion is the human population on the face of this planet. Fun fact, if we all stood shoulder to shoulder, we could fit within the city limits of Los Angeles. Regardless, it’s a pretty damn large number of people.
On the surface, we seem so different. Our looks. Our personalities. Our goals and aspirations. Our intentions. We read about the legacy of Mother Theresa devoting her life to selflessness. Then, we flip on the tube and see maniacs driving buses through crowded city streets and flying planes into buildings. If we stare at the short-lived but eventful history of humanity and if we really analyze deeply every action that has been taken up until now, it would be easy to think that we as humans are unpredictable.
But, if we take a step back and look at our story from an aerial view, you’ll notice quite the opposite is true.
I want you to look at life through a new lens for a second. Consider a novel perspective on every thought that crosses your mind. Every urge or desire that overtakes you. Every single emotion you feel.
Through this lens, you’ll notice you are not much different from every other living being on our lovely planet Earth. In fact, you are not different at all. This paradigm will grant you with a deeper understanding. An understanding of why men chase money down the dark alleys of dishonesty. Why we fall in love without an explanation. Why we enjoy getting a little drunk on a Friday night.
All thoughts, actions and decisions stem from six basic human needs.
I want to preface the following information by stating these are not my original thoughts. The basic human needs are very well known and discussed by many of the great leaders in our history. Each need, however, is analyzed from my own perspective; I hope it provides a unique twist.
Here are the 6 basic human needs:
Certainty
I think we all know it’s definition, but I will redefine it for effect.
Certainty is the quality of being reliably true.
Simply put, certainty ensures survival. You may be reading this story in the comfort of your own home, snuggled up on your couch with a hot cup of green tea in hand and a fluffy blanket wrapped around your shoulders. If you’re not, I’d be willing to bet you are still in a state of safety. AKA there is an incredibly low chance you will be eaten alive in the next few minutes.
Believe it or not, life was not all sunshine and rainbows for our ancestors. Every single day of life was a blessing. We were out in the jungle, surrounded by predators with sharper teeth and bigger claws. Put your head down for a second and you could become somebody’s lunch.
Living beings have existed this way for billions of years. We are programmed to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of ourselves and our species. We carved spears, made homes out of caves, and traveled in packs. Why? Because all of these actions increased the chances of living another day. It provided us with certainty.
This way of thinking is fully engrained in us to this day. It is why we fear the risk of quitting a secure job and pursuing something we love. Or approaching that hot girl at the bar. These types of situations establish an uncertainty. Uncertainty means DEATH. At least it used to. Human nature has not yet adapted to it’s safer, less threatening environment.
Variety
You’d be amazed to hear that this basic human need is the evil twin of certainty. It’s opposite.
While a sense of certainty ensures survival, a sense of variety guarantees excitement. We as human beings get bored. We adapt to our surroundings and begin to take gifts for granted. Psychologists calls this the hedonic treadmill.
It sounds like a fancy word, but we all have felt it. It’s the concept of attaining something you have greatly desired, being excited and happy for a short while, then adapting, falling into boredom, and desiring something greater.
Human nature wants us to constantly be improving. It knows that new challenges strengthen us. Back in the good old days of our existence, it was those who battled the lions and came out on top that thrived. They could take on any challenge.
Their urge for variety created a stronger sense of certainty.
Significance
Again, this is a definition we all know.
Significance is the feeling of importance.
It is man’s search for meaning and pride. It is that little voice inside of us that imagines what it would be like to walk the red carpet. To own a mansion in Beverly Hills. To be best friends with George Clooney. To be George Clooney.
It’s incredible how much the need for recognition influences our decisions. It is the driving force behind every bikini pic of a sorority girl you see pop up on your Instagram news feed. It’s why you find yourself adding to your Snap Story when your expensive meal arrives at your table at a fancy restaurant.
Whether you’d like to admit it or not, recognition is an enormous aspect of the decisions we make.
Love & Connection
We as human beings have one single job in life: do what you can to guarantee the survival of your species.
In other words, reproduce.
I hate to be a downer here, but your species as a whole doesn’t really care what you do otherwise. As long as you produce offspring, creating the certainty of survival of your species for at least another generation, you could die today and humanity would go on without you.
This is the STRONGEST urge we feel, because it is the most important. It is why we fall head over heels in love for another person. It is why we can’t stop thinking about her. Why we want to spend every waking minute with her. It is because human nature wants the two of you to make babies. That’s it.
This urge can be dangerous, as we have seen in recent news with Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., and many others. The poor actions they have taken have been a sign of weakness. They have let this basic human need overtake their emotions and actions.
Yes, the need is that strong. If we do not practice self-control, the urge for love and connection will overtake you.
Embrace this feeling, though, if it’s a healthy one. If the other person feels the same about you. Fall in love, get married, make babies, and ensure that your species will live to fight another day.
Growth
I touched on this one a little bit in the section about significance, so I won’t talk much about it.
New challenges are healthy. They build callouses on our hands. They put a little muscle our bones. They prepare us for new and greater obstacles.
Although it hurts a little bit while it’s happening, growth saves us from pain in the future. Back then it was the pain of death. Today, it’s the pain of failure. We experience our failures now and we win in the long run.
The one lesson we can learn from this basic need is that human nature wants us to continue to challenge ourselves so that we become stronger, ensure our own survival, attract a significant other, make babies, and protect them from harm. Go out and take on the world, for humanity’s sake!
Contribution
Tony Robbins’ mantra is, “The secret to living is giving.” It’s so true. There are loads of benefits to being a selfless person:
- Self-fulfillment. Giving makes us feel amazing about ourselves. Helping others triggers a release of oxytocin, which has the effect of boosting our mood and counteracts the effects of cortisol (the dreaded stress hormone).
- Healthy relationships. As Gary Vaynerchuk often says, “Always provide 51% of the value in a relationship.” It doesn’t have to be a competition, but constantly focusing on providing value to others naturally draws them closer to you. It’s the foundation for deep, strong relationships. It shows other people that you really care about them, and they [should] want to return the favor as much as they can.
- Boost of creativity. Just like brainstorming another business idea, thinking of new ways to help others stimulates those creative juices. You will find yourself more quickly generating new, clever ideas for how to help others in fun and interesting ways.
- Habit building. No matter where you are in your life, giving should be a big aspect of it. The more value you add to the world, the more the world pays you back, even if it’s not in the form of money. Start now and build a habit of giving. It will start to feel less like a chore and more like a routine, making it much easier to do throughout your life.
Human nature wants us to give back. I think it’s pretty clear to understand why. Helping others leads to their survival too. We may be individuals, but as far as our species is concerned, we are one entity tasked with carrying on the existence of our species.
Start giving today, even if it’s in the smallest of ways. By a coffee for a stranger at the gas station. Tell your friend you like their shoes. And, if you are feeling so inclined, find a local charity organization and get involved. Whatever it is, always be finding new ways to give.
I hope that, after reading this, you have a fresh perspective on the world and the people that fill it. Now you know why everyone around you acts the way they do. Before every action you take, I challenge you to think first about why are you taking that action. Discern what basic human need it is derived from. Ask yourself these questions:
Is this healthy for myself and the people around me?
Does it make me a stronger person?
Does it provide me with a sense of certainty and/or variety?
Is this feeling of significance something I really need?
Will this help me find love and connection?
Will it help me grow?
Am I contributing?
With the right answers to these questions, you can be sure that the action you are about to take will strengthen you as a human being and will ensure that your species will live to fight another day.
I love to talk with new and interesting people. If you’d be interested in chatting about the ideas mentioned above or any other ideas, shoot me an email at jlord5397@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
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