Physiological needs are the things we need to survive (food, water, air, etc.).
Psychological needs are the things we need to thrive (certainty, significance, connection, etc.).
The importance of each need shifts based on the situation we are in, but the needs themselves do not change.
Our needs usually take priority over our values.
Check How Needs, Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes Impact our BehaviourThe needs, values, beliefs, and attitudes are building blocks of our mindset. They shape our personal behaviour and have a profound impact on the… Discover more… to see the interaction between Needs, ValuesPersonal values are our view of how the world should function. They are (just like our personal beliefs) created especially during our early development… Discover more…, BeliefsPersonal beliefs are our view of how the world really functions. They are (just like our personal values) created especially during our early development… Discover more…, and AttitudesYour Attitude is the way how you approach a situation. It is the internal mindset, however, it can be shown in an outer display… Discover more….
Survive
At first, we focus on our survival needs.
The list below is ordered by the approximate time of survival
Survival needs and the survival time
| Need | Survival Time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Air | 3-5 minutes | |
| Shelter | 10+ minutes | * depends on the environment, freezing temperatures (under 1 hour, the lower the faster) are deadlier than heat (around 2-3 hours) |
| Water | 3 days | |
| Sleep | 3-10 days | * you don’t die directly from sleep deprivation, however, it causes hallucinations and inability to function which can cause death from secondary causes like injuries |
| Food | 3 weeks |
Once our physical survival is secured, our focus shifts to our psychological needs.
Thrive
There are six psychological needs:
- Certainty
- Variety
- Significance
- Connection
- Growth
- Contribution
Credits: Tony Robbins
Every person has a different priority for different needs.
Our needs usually take precedence over our Values and our Beliefs.
When our needs are unmet, we might abandon our values and/or beliefs to ensure our needs are met. The exception is when we value something higher than our own preservation (e.g. parents endangering themselves to protect their children).
Image sources:
- Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.: Wikipedia, User:Factoryjoe | CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported
