Isle Talk Story

Our developmental needs can be expressed in  broad-based and comprehensive terms, as depicted in the one word labels in the table below.  Each word-label can be extensively elaborated upon but, for the sake of general discussion, these one word labels can suffice. They are more like over-arching themes for each psyche-socio stage of development. And, they overlap. It’s not that in late adulthood we no longer need identity, or exploration….but, the need for knowledge, both self knowledge, and knowledge of our larger environment, is more dominant. Here, knowledge refers much more to the synthesis of life experience rather than mere fact gathering.

This collection of needs,  chronologically unfolding and age-based, is referred to as “the heirarchy of needs.”

Certainly, the need for sustenance is prevalent throughout the entire range of needs, as is the need for safety, but when consistently  satisfied, other needs arise.  Also, sustenance and safety are not limited to purely physical concerns; there are needs for psyche sustenance and psyche  safety, as well as socio sustenance  and socio safety.

Although this collection of 7 Needs is considered heirarchical, it is also interwoven. Even the lower level needs such as control and esteem are influenced by the higher level needs, such as the need for knowledge and beauty.

When higher needs are not satisfied, there is  psyche-logical malaise in much the same way physical deterioration is the result of neglect. Malaise is like a slow psyche-logical starvation.

It’s helpful to recognize our higher level psyche-socio developmental needs. It can add to one’s sense of direction,  meaning and purpose.

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