The Relationship between Needs and Emotions
Emotions are the body’s signal that ‘needs’ are met or unmet. Abraham Maslow (1954) first suggested that we have a hierarchy of needs; that lower needs must be met before moving on to attend to higher needs. The first five levels are:
1. Physiological: meeting of basic needs of the body, including food, shelter, and rest.
2. Safety/security: to be safe from danger, both physically and emotionally.
3. Love and Belonging: to be accepted by, affiliated with, and loved by others.
4. Self-Esteem: to feel competent, to achieve, gain approval and recognition.
5. Self-Actualization: morality, creativity and spirituality
Only when all these needs are met is a person truly able to give to others and seek emotional or intellectual growth.
Emotions, then, are our body’s signal to us about the ‘state of our needs’ at any moment. Positive emotions occur when we believe that our need is being met and negative emotions ‘alert ‘ us to an unmet need. They tell us to proceed, to do that again (or not) if the chance comes, to stop, to get help, to let go. To see how this works more clearly, you can ask, “When did or will the need occur; in the past, the future, or the present?”
FEELINGS in relation to needs in the…
…past …present …future
positive feelings satisfied/content happy/joy excited/hopeful
(= needs met)
negative feelings sad/down frustrated/angry worried/anxious
(= needs unmet)
In each case the emotion signals what is needed. It is our natural internal feedback system. Positive feelings (satisfied, happy, excited) signal that our needs were, are, or likely will be met. How does that influence us? Because the feeling is pleasurable, it makes us more likely to do that again (if the opportunity presents itself), continue what we are doing, or keep moving toward that end, respectively. Negative feelings (sad, angry, worried) signal that our needs were not, are not, or may not be met and thus, being unpleasant, we are more likely to let go, take space, or get help.
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