6 Human Needs: Do you need to feel significant?

4/20/20, 14(20

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Mind & Meaning (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/)

DO YOU NEED TO FEEL

SIGNIFICANT?
T H E N E E D TO F E E L I M P O R TA N T A N D W H Y
I T M A K E S YO U S A B OTAG E YO U R O W N
SUCCESS
Posted by: Team Tony

Why do we do the things we do? Why is it that we measure success and value by attention and status, yet frown
upon complacency? What force drives and shapes all of our emotions, actions, quality of life and, ultimately, our
destinies?

Did you know that the answers to these questions can all be explained by learning about the basic human needs?

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6 Human Needs: Do you need to feel significant? 4/20/20, 14(20

While each of us is unique and shaped by our individual life events and corresponding
emotions, we also share behavioral systems that generally function in the same way.
Tony Robbins (https://www.instagram.com/tonyrobbins/?hl=en) has discovered through
over 40 years of experience that there are 6 human needs that fundamentally affect
the way we make choices. Each of us prioritizes our needs differently, and our
decisions are based on which needs we put first.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MEETING THE 6

BASIC HUMAN NEEDS
Many of your behaviors are based on which of your needs are – or are not – being
met. Depending on which of the basic human needs are foremost in your personality,
you could be spending a lot of time consciously or subconsciously trying to meet one
or two of them. And if you don’t succeed, it could negatively impact your overall sense (https://core.tonyrobbins.com/wheel-
of well-being. Knowing which of your 6 needs is your primary motivator and how this of-life/)
affects your ability to connect with others and develop healthy relationships
(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/ultimate-relationship-guide/healthy-relationship-you-deserve/) is crucial
to your understanding of what drives you. It can also help you better understand and manage triggers and be in
charge of your own emotions. (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/who-is-in-charge-of-your-
emotions/)

THE 6 HUMAN NEEDS ARE:

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6 Human Needs: Do you need to feel significant? 4/20/20, 14(20

1. Certainty
Certainty: assurance you can avoid pain and gain pleasure
2. Uncertainty/Variety
Uncertainty/Variety: the need for the unknown, change, new stimuli
3. Significance
Significance: feeling unique, important, special or needed
4. Connection/Love
Connection/Love: a strong feeling of closeness or union with someone or something
5. Growth
Growth: an expansion of capacity, capability or understanding
6. Contribution
Contribution: a sense of service and focus on helping, giving to and supporting others

Do You Need To Feel Signi0cant? | Tony Robbins

Everyone ranks these basic human needs differently, and the way they are ranked are why you are the way you are
as a person (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/why-you-are-the-way-you-are/)
(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/why-you-are-the-way-you-are/). The top four
needs in the list above shape our personality, while the last two (growth and contribution) shape our spiritual needs.
The means by which people choose to meet these 6 human needs are unlimited; we seek fulfillment through our
relationships, careers, personal interests and more. Here’s more on the basic human needs and what they mean.

CERTAINTY
If certainty is one of your top basic human needs, you need to feel secure and safe about the future. When you
receive positive recognition, it may be accompanied by a need for certainty that the recognition is authentic and will
continue. In order to live a life filled with certainty, your life has to stay the same – a nearly impossible expectation to
fulfill. So, you artificially control your environment by changing your expectations
(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/love-relationships/the-danger-of-expectations/) or by avoiding new
situations or people. You find ways to positively motivate yourself (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/personal-
growth/what-is-self-motivation/) and you aim to consistently deliver the same or better results to receive more
recognition. This process provides you with assurance that your actions will either avoid pain or gain pleasure,
which then fulfills the basic human need for certainty.

UNCERTAINTY/VARIETY

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Though it’s important to understand the beauty of uncertainty (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/love-

relationships/protecting-yourself/)
relationships/protecting-yourself/), those who experience this as one of their top basic human needs can take it
to an extreme. They may engage in frequent job or relationship changes for the sake of variety, or take unnecessary
risks to achieve the adrenaline jolt they crave. However, if uncertainty is one of your top 6 basic human needs, you
will be unafraid of taking risks and will not avoid new situations or people.

SIGNIFICANCE
If significance is among the top two of your 6 human needs, then part of meeting that need includes receiving
recognition. This may translate into a desire to be seen, heard and listened to – in short, you want to be noticed.
You measure significance by what you believe makes you unique compared to everyone else around you.
Recognition provides you with a sense of validation that makes you feel seen, special and/or needed. Recognition is
a major driving force behind human behavior because it provides us with a measurement system to analyze and
track our significance. Recognition is also an extremely important part of keeping up employee productivity
(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/business/employee-productivity/)
(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/business/employee-productivity/).

Those who don’t devise a positive way to feel significant may end up taking drastic measures to make themselves
feel good, like turning to alcohol or engaging in frequent arguments. Others surround themselves with people that
they view as less skilled or accomplished to provide contrast to their own achievements. Either scenario can result
in increased significance – but neither behavior is particularly healthy.

CONNECTION/LOVE
If connection/love is your top basic human need, you are constantly seeking out a close relationship with someone
or something. You truly understand that love wakes you up to the gift of life (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/love-
relationships/love-wakes-gift-life/)
relationships/love-wakes-gift-life/). This can lead to some incredibly fulfilling relationships, but it can also cause
you to sacrifice self-care in order to take care of others or maintain a partnership.

GROWTH
Those whose foremost need is growth are always striving to be better and learn more. They are very good at their
jobs, but tend to move on quickly as soon as they believe they’ve reached their full potential. Though their constant
striving for betterment ensures they will never be bored, they can err on the side of perfectionism and neglect the
rest and relaxation they need to keep stress levels manageable (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/health-
vitality/what-is-the-impact-of-your-stress/)
vitality/what-is-the-impact-of-your-stress/).

CONTRIBUTION
The secret to living is giving (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/leadership-impact/the-secret-to-living-is-
giving/)
giving/), and those who experience contribution as one of their top basic human needs know this better than
anyone. If you have a need to contribute, you will likely make a big difference in your community. However, you can
lose sight of the fact that giving should begin at home and neglect those closest to you as you try to change the
world.

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6 Human Needs: Do you need to feel significant? 4/20/20, 14(20

All dysfunctional behaviors arise from the inability to consistently meet the 6 basic human needs mentioned above.
But you don’t have to resort to these types of behaviors if you understand your own needs and psychology. By
better understanding which of the basic human needs is your driving force
(https://core.tonyrobbins.com/driving-force-6/)
(https://core.tonyrobbins.com/driving-force-6/), you can set goals for yourself and implement positive
behaviors to help you achieve those goals (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/ask-tony/how-to-achieve-
everything/)
everything/). Understanding these needs, and which ones you are trying to meet in any given moment, can help
you embrace the power of growth (https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/why-is-growth-addictive/)
and create new patterns that lead to lasting fulfillment.

Want to learn more about the 6 basic human needs and how you prioritize them in your own life? No matter what
you want – significance, certainty or love and connection – Unleash the Power Within
(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/events/unleash-the-power-within/) will give you the momentum to achieve it.
Embrace the life you desire and deserve today.

Team Tony

Team Tony cultivates, curates and shares Tony Robbins’ stories and core principles, to
help others achieve an extraordinary life.

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(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/career-
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R E L AT E D P O S T S

(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/fear-vs-
(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/ready-
(https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/the-
intuition/) to-unlock-extraordinary-life/) word-you-need-to-embrace/)

Mind & Meaning Mind & Meaning Mind & Meaning

FEAR VS. INTUITION READY TO UNLOCK THE F WORD YOU

(HTTPS://WWW.TONYROBBINS.COM/MIND- AN EXTRAORDINARY NEED TO EMBRACE
MEANING/FEAR-VS- LIFE? (HTTPS://WWW.TONYROBBINS
INTUITION/) (HTTPS://WWW.TONYROBBINS.COM/MIND-
MEANING/THE-F-
MEANING/READY-TO- WORD-YOU-NEED-
READ MORE
(HTTPS://WWW.TONYROBBINS.COM/MIND-
UNLOCK- TO-EMBRACE /) /)
MEANING/FEAR-VS-INTUITION/) EXTRAORDINARY-
READ MORE
LIFE/) (HTTPS://WWW.TONYROBBINS.COM/MIND-
MEANING/THE-F-WORD-YOU-NEED-TO-
READ MORE EMBRACE/)
(HTTPS://WWW.TONYROBBINS.COM/MIND-
MEANING/READY-TO-UNLOCK-
EXTRAORDINARY-LIFE/)

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