The Seven Greatest Human Needs

Beyond your basic physiological and safety needs, what are the most important needs in your life?

What are your thoughts on these seven human needs we’ve selected? Which would you keep and which would you replace?

7 human needs summary

7 human needs comfort 7 human needs variety 7 human needs significance 7 human needs love 7 human needs growth 7 human needs contribution 7 human needs belonging

The images and their message are courtesy of our Product Management Director, Kurt Birky.

21 Comments |Add a comment

  1. Rhonda Postell June 26, 2020

    I think all these human needs are great and necessary the only one I choose not to have is comfort, it is great to have comfort, but a lot of people get stuck in their comfort zone and they don’t want to get out of it, then they get used to having everythin set in their own way, and they want whatever it is to stay, their own way and they don’t want to come out of the comfort zone they don’t want to do anything else but what they’re used to all the time, set in their own way and they want to have it that way and that way only and they don’t even realize sometimes they are stuck in this so-called”COMFORT ZONE”. Comfort is a great need, when used as it should be for comfort.
    And yes Christ can be in “ALL” of these needs. You can pray, and read your Bible and do your Bible studies with all of these needs. God is with us always.

  2. Chuck May 20, 2019

    The one I believe that covers them all and one we take for granite most often is LOVE, I mean true love. This world is thrown around so much anymore that we sometimes tend to use it for getting what we want and not truly having or getting it from anyone. If we loved as God loved use we wouldn’t have the problems we have today. With true love comes hope faith, and all the other’s that are mentioned. Let’s face it true LOVE can conquer all.

  3. Mitchel April 27, 2019

    If it’s not a need it’s a want and by saying we all “want” comfort is contradictory of itself in a list of needs. Comfort is what keeps you stagnant and far more a want than a need. My list would look something like:
    -food
    -water
    -shelter
    -sleep
    -love
    -entertainment

  4. marylynn January 6, 2016

    i am sorry that there are kids out there starving

  5. Alice Muhonja February 28, 2015

    we need to know Christ and the power of his resurrection .For in him we live and move..There is no comfort without Christ and in him we have a sense of belonging that we are safe,secure trusting into his care.Amen

    1. Damsa November 14, 2015

      Alsome truth thank u alice

  6. Steve December 5, 2014

    These needs is what Christ as well as other Spiritual leaders have been offering in all their teachings..no need to mention any of them its already there. This is for ALL to understand and Apply.. Thank You All

  7. Deanna Llyn October 23, 2014

    I believe the whole message was about Christ. Is He not comfort? Is He not Love?

  8. Janet March 1, 2014

    I believe these needs are very real and God has created us to have these needs met by Him. Jesus meets us in every one of these needs. Where we feel a lack in any one of these areas, that’s a part of our heart that hasn’t yet received His truth, because of unhealed wounding. Fortunately He is our Healer and able to bring wholeness to our hearts, if we let Him in.

  9. Guan Yin February 28, 2014

    Hello Chip, Julie and other Christians

    You will find that Christianity fulfils all those needs, which is why you cling on to it.

    Comfort. You believe in the certainty that jesus will save you
    Variety. You believe that God can take away your life any time. Whenever God takes away the life of your friend or family member, that fulfils variety for you
    Significance. You believe that you jesus died for your sins and therefore you are of value
    Love. You love God and believe God loves you too
    Growth. You grow in faith and keep reading scripture and keep adding people to your church
    Contribution. By preaching to people and doing good works
    Belonging. Your fellow Christians /church members give you the belonging you need

    Christianity /christ is something you use to fulfil those 7 needs. I’m not saying that christ did not exist. He most certainly did, and he is the son of God for sure, but some people fulfil those needs through other methods.

    Jesus is not a need. Jesus is a solution.

  10. Julie October 2, 2013

    My question is about where these “truths” are found in the Bible. I have been hearing a lot from church about our basic need to be loved and to belong, but when I started researching, I found little from a Biblical perspective, and lots from our world’s view. What would you say is the Biblical world view of “basic needs”? Many stories come to mind about how Jesus met needs and how people gave up what some would call basic physiological needs for “self-actualizing” needs.

    1. Adam August 5, 2016

      to answer where you question in the bible where do we find the need for love comfort exc… look to Genisis 2: 18-24. We see a perfect description of the relationship between man and woman and the intimacy of that relationship.

    2. Susan Sayler October 4, 2013

      Hi Julie! I think that a biblical worldview of basic needs should begin with the Genesis narative. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it and it was good. This means that to God the whole human being (physical and spiritual) is good, is made in God’s image, and should be cared for.

      Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 when he says to the Accuser that “‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:3-5). The passage in Deuteronomy talks about the Manna that God had provided from Heaven for the Israelites in the desert. In these two passages is an idea that, yes, we need food but we also need the word of God within us. A good friend of mine who has lived in poverty in Africa for most of her life once asked me, “Why did God make us to need to eat food?” This question came out of the hardship of seeing so many people in her part of the world without food to eat and then knowing that in other parts of the world food is in abundance. I do believe that food is a basic need and perhaps God made it a basic need to show us our similar need for God’s word. It is a strange mystery.

      In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God and serving those on this earth. He talks about feeding those who are hungry, giving water to those who are thirsty, visiting the lonely, the sick, and those who are in prison. He talks about physical and socio-emotional needs that we all have and looking to meet those needs in others. He says that, “‘whatever you do for one of the least of these, you do for me.'”

      These are just a few passages. I’m sure there are more but it gives you an idea of some basic needs that we all have – food, water, the word of God, and community.

  11. Carol July 31, 2012

    How about food, water and a roof over ‘their’ head? I’d replace almost all of your choices you selected. Just got back from Africa. Water is scarce and most children are fed only once a day. If this is about children in poverty, then my selections are valid but if you are talking about my needs, they are a little different. “Love your neighbor as yourself” would be number one.

  12. Paul Binkley July 31, 2012

    This is straight out of Anthony Robins’ Six Human Needs with the addition of Belonging. Good stuff. My wife and I apply these in marriage coaching ministry. They help couples make sense of what changed about their relationship, why they feel how they do, and what can be addressed to better meet the needs of our spouses and sustain rich fulfilling marriages throughout life’s many stages. Preach on, but give Robin’s his due credit. It’s his original material

  13. Chip July 31, 2012

    Our greatest need is spiritual. We need Christ more than anything else. Why is he not on this list? Compassion International cannot gloss over Christ!

    1. Lois September 20, 2013

      I agree with you Chip!

    2. in August 23, 2013

      agree with Chip, however, these are only human needs not spiritual needs (which do exists indeed!)

    3. Lesieli May 8, 2013

      your right , I don’t understand why people do not seems to mention or even apply, add, or include Christ in their daily life, list or whatever like He is not exist but when they get to end of themselves, instead of yelling for help to their uncle, mom, dad, best friend or boyfrien, girlfriend, they call God, yell and mention Him. what do they get in result ? better than what they asked for or even more unexpected answer that they do not deserve.

      1. JoAnn Badger May 26, 2013

        Amen to that, you are so right! You see, WE know what time it is!

  14. Jen July 31, 2012

    I might replace comfort with hope. I could live without some things but I could not live without hope for a future or hope that my children will live in a world where they have hope.

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