Unlock Potential: Examining Psychological & Physiological Needs - Essay Sample

Introduction

Potentiality is the possibility of coming into existence of something in the future and be developed in different ways. The fulfillment of a person's potential can only be achieved ones the basic and mental needs have been fulfilled, and this is referred to us as self-actualization. In contrast, the basic requirements are physiological needs, and the mental needs are psychological (McLeod 5). The study is limited to analyzing psychological and physiological needs.

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Psychological Needs

Psychology is an approach to the human mind, emotion, and behavior. Psychological needs are the aspects of life that are required for an essential mind, brain, emotional functioning, and well-being of an individual (Huxley 1998). There are four basic psychological needs such as the need for attachment where one relies on the help of others for his/her survival, need for orientation and control where connection and protection by their contact person help them to grow curiosity and develop new desires, and they finally tend to violate this need by experiencing unpredictable situations around them, need for self-esteem enhancement where one experience some sense of greatness by reaching a personal goal or receiving a compliment for something important to you and finally need for increasing pleasure and avoiding pain by avoiding our duties for hours which seems like laziness but in reality it's a regular expression of a basic human need (McLeod 5).

Physiological Needs

These are biological needs for our survival. They consist of food, water, oxygen, shelter, and clothing. These needs are our primary basic needs and are needed for survival. For example, to earn for a living where the money is the most significant element of physiological needs, in election campaigns where the politicians' manifestos must include these physiological needs such as food and clothing (Huxley 1998).

In social institutions, physiological needs are used to publish research papers on the well-being of people and in policymaking where the government relies on the estate of these needs to frame policies for their citizen's welfare (Huxley 1998). When meeting the cognitive demands of students. In marketing strategies, companies focus on the needs to promote their goods by advertisements and commercials. These needs are also essential in developing infrastructure where we all strive for decent shelters to avoid floods, sunshine, and any adversaries of nature. Lastly, they are useful in promoting textile industries where human beings desire to dress well (McLeod 5).

Psychological Needs vs. Physiological Needs

Psychological needs are the more profound need for a connection with other human beings, whereas Physiological needs are the basic needs that are external for the maintenance of our bodies. Psychological needs are not more substantial compared to physiological needs because physiological needs are deficiency needs that arise when one is deprived, and they motivate an individual to strive harder if not met (Huxley 1998). The longer it takes to meet these needs, the stronger the motivation to be fulfilled. A good example is a food. A person cannot stay for days without food. They need food for them to survive and go on with their day to day activities, and to make matters worse, lack of food can lead to death due to hunger (McLeod 5).

Deficiency needs have to be satisfied with the human body to function well. We have to survive to be motivated in life physically. One needs a shelter to prevent rains, floods, insects, and harmful animals, which can cause harm and diseases leading to death, and this individual won't be able to satisfy the rest of the needs (Huxley 1998).

But ones they meet these basic needs, then they will be able to prevent lots of harm from reaching them and will go on with their day to day lives. Clothing is also an essential need since we can't go around naked. We have to cover ourselves up for everything else to be met. We need to take note of the fact that psychological needs do not arise from a lack of something but from the desire to grow as an individual (McLeod 5).

Psychological needs are weaker than physiological needs. For instance, according to Maslow's hierarchy, which is a psychology theory, we can well see at the base of it appears the physiological needs that consist of the fundamental (self-preserving) needs such as water, shelter, sleep, etc. (McLeod 5). For one to go up the hierarchy, they first have to satisfy the need below, thus implying the physiological needs have to be fulfilled before one gets a chance to give attention to the psychological needs. This hierarchy plays an essential role in motivating human beings (McLeod, 5).

Conclusion

In conclusion, for psychological needs to be met, one has first to reach the physiological needs since the physiological ones have a higher demand and are essential for life. We can well say physiological needs have to be satisfied to motivate one in fulfilling the psychological needs; hence psychological needs are weaker than physiological needs.

Get to know yourself and your needs; this is a crucial thing to be done. Find out what supports you to get to fulfill them. One's feelings play an essential role in giving hints.

Works Cited

Huxley, Aldous. "Brave New World. 1932." London: Vintage (1998). https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e90b/f48a05910f83870566ac86e283b73c831c3c.pdf

McLeod, Saul. "Maslow's hierarchy of needs." Only psychology 1 (2007): 1-8. http://highgatecounselling.org.uk/members/certificate/CT2%20Paper%201.pdf