6 Human Needs

6HNs Assessment

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

As veterans, the answers to these questions can all be explained by learning about the 6 human needs.

All dysfunctional behaviors arise from the inability to consistently meet these core needs. But our needs aren’t just behind the bad decisions we make – they are also behind all the great things we accomplish. Understanding your own needs and psychology can not only help you avoid toxic behaviors and habits but can also help you achieve your goals.

How do we develop our core needs?

Each of us is unique and shaped by our individual life events and corresponding emotions. Many of our deepest needs are developed in childhood, when our minds are taking in all the information they can. This information, whether positive or negative, creates our beliefs and values – and those create our entire world. It’s even been proven that stress in childhood has lasting effects on brain chemistry and development.

Each of us prioritizes our needs differently, and our decisions are based on which needs we put first. While the 6 human needs are deep-seated, remember that your past is not your future unless you live there. You can choose to fulfill your needs in a healthy way and bring balance to your life by developing your ability to fulfill all of your needs equally.

What are the 6 human needs?

Certainty: Assurance you can avoid pain and gain pleasure.
Uncertainty/Variety: The need for the unknown, change, new stimuli.
Significance: Feeling unique, important, special, or needed.
Connection/Love: A strong feeling of closeness or union with someone or something.
Growth: An expansion of capacity, capability, or understanding.
Contribution: A sense of service and focus on helping, giving to, and supporting others.

As veterans, the answers to these questions can all be explained by learning about the 6 human needs.

How do we develop our core needs?

What are the 6 human needs?

Certainty: Assurance you can avoid pain and gain pleasure.
Uncertainty/Variety: The need for the unknown, change, new stimuli.
Significance: Feeling unique, important, special, or needed.
Connection/Love: A strong feeling of closeness or union with someone or something.
Growth: An expansion of capacity, capability, or understanding.
Contribution: A sense of service and focus on helping, giving to, and supporting others.

Everyone ranks these human needs differently, and the way they are ranked explains why you are the way you are as a person. The top four needs in the list above shape our personality, while the last two (growth and contribution) shape our spiritual needs. People’s needs can be met in a variety of ways; we seek fulfillment through our relationships, careers, personal interests, and more.

How do we develop needs within the military that can impact us later on as veterans?

The military environment shapes our core needs in profound ways. The structured and high-stakes nature of military life often amplifies certain needs and suppresses others. Understanding this can help veterans navigate their transition to civilian life.

Certainty in the Military:
- The military provides a high degree of certainty through its routines, protocols, and predictability. Veterans often find themselves craving this level of structure in civilian life.
- Transition tip: Create new routines and find stable environments or activities that provide a sense of security.
Uncertainty/Variety in the Military:
- Despite its structure, military life is also full of uncertainty and variety – deployments, new assignments, and constant changes. This can lead to a heightened need for variety in civilian life.
- Transition tip: Channel this need into positive activities like travel, new hobbies, or continuous learning
Significance in the Military:
- The military environment places a high value on rank, achievement, and honor, fulfilling the need for significance. This can create challenges when veterans no longer receive the same level of recognition.
- Transition tip: Find ways to achieve and contribute in new areas, such as community service, sports, or new career goals.
Connection/Love in the Military:
- The camaraderie and brotherhood of military life meet the need for connection and love deeply. Veterans may feel a loss of this connection upon returning to civilian life.
- Transition tip: Build new communities through veterans groups, clubs, or shared activities like Jiu Jitsu.
Growth in the Military:
- The constant training and personal development in the military meet the need for growth. Veterans may need to seek new growth opportunities outside of this environment.
- Transition tip: Pursue education, new skills, or personal development programs to continue your growth journey.
Contribution in the Military:
- Serving in the military inherently fulfills the need for contribution. Veterans often seek new ways to feel they are making a difference.
- Transition tip: Volunteer, mentor, or join organizations that align with your values and allow you to give back.

The 6 Human Needs More in Depth

Certainty

If certainty is one of your core 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 or by avoiding new situations or people. 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.

How to tell if certainty is one of your core needs:

You are trustworthy and always do what you say you’ll do.
You enjoy planning, thrive on a schedule, and are very organized.
You’re hesitant to take risks and have new experiences.
You may fall into addictive or obsessive behaviors.

How to fulfill a need for certainty:

Find activities that you enjoy but that also push you slightly out of your comfort zone.
Incorporate healthy and empowering routines into your life.
Give back to others to promote growth and contribution in a consistent way.

Uncertainty/Variety

Though it’s important to understand the beauty of uncertainty, those who experience this as one of their top basic human needs can take it to an extreme. They 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 human needs, you will be unafraid of taking risks and will not avoid new situations or people.

How to tell if variety is one of your core needs:

You’re generally outgoing and like meeting new people.
You’re always willing to do something new and have many interests.
You can be unfocused and lack planning skills, and perhaps push people away in relationships.

How to fulfill a need for variety:

Feed your mind regularly with a variety of new information.
Switch up your exercise routine, eat new foods, and take classes with new people.
Learn how to ignite passion in your life and relationships.

Significance

If significance is among the top two of your 6 human needs, then part of meeting that need includes receiving recognition. This translates 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.

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.

How to tell if significance is one of your core needs:

You’re highly driven to be successful and love setting and reaching goals.
You’re committed to a cause – or several causes.
Others tell you that you stand out.
You can be overly competitive, perfectionistic, or dramatic.

How to fulfill a need for significance:

Channel your competitive nature into healthy activities by learning a new sport or skill or by volunteering.
Work on your people skills to become a more well-rounded leader.
Commit to total mastery of your profession or career.

Love/Connection
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. People need love, and 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.

How to tell if connection is one of your core needs:

Loyalty and generosity with those you love are your top values.
You give freely and others find you trustworthy.
You have strong social ties, but you can sometimes lose your sense of self and find it hard to say “no.”

How to fulfill a need for connection:

Be willing to be vulnerable and create deeper, more meaningful friendships.
Communicate your needs to your partner to improve intimacy.
Achieve greater spirituality through prayer, meditation, or connecting with nature.

Growth

Those whose foremost core 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.

How to tell if growth is one of your core needs:

You’re always pushing boundaries, both your own and those set for you by others and by society.
You’re very independent and are not attached to material things.
You may find it hard to connect with others and can have trouble letting go of stressful thoughts.

How to fulfill a need for growth:

Make continuous learning a part of your routine with classes, reading, and new experiences.
Step up as a leader or mentor.
Set personal and professional goals that will keep you focused.

Contribution
The need for contribution centers on giving back to others and helping those around you. If you’re driven by contribution, you probably think big. You want to leave a mark on the world. This often results in a sense of fulfillment that is larger than yourself – you’ve learned how to take care of yourself and can now extend that state to those around you. Contribution often requires you to take risks and push your own limits.

How to tell if contribution is one of your core needs:

You feel things deeply and can empathize with others.
You often think of others before yourself and enjoy working together.
You believe that you can create a ripple effect in your community and the world.

How to fulfill a need for contribution:

Take up a cause you’re passionate about and donate your time and skills.
Share your knowledge by becoming a mentor.
Perform small acts of kindness every day.

Understanding and prioritizing your needs can help you create the life you desire. Embrace your core needs and find ways to fulfill them positively, allowing you to thrive and live with purpose.

Want to learn more about the 6 human needs and how you prioritize them in your own life? No matter what you want – significance, certainty, or love and connection – Unleash your full potential take the assessment now!

6HNs Assessment