The human givens - Innate needs and resources

What are the ‘human givens’?

DNA The ‘givens’ of human nature are your innate physical and emotional needs, as well as the resources nature gave you to help you meet these needs.

They are your genetic inheritance: templates ‘downloaded’ from our genes into the brain of the foetus and later neonatal.

These templates are completed into patterns, which continue to be adapted by the circumstances and the environment we find ourselves in.

Your essential emotional needs

Try to meet these needs in balance:

security, which includes a stable home life and a safe environment to unfold and fulfill our potential
giving and receiving attention
friendships, fun, love, and physical intimacy
a sense of autonomy and control over our environment
being part of a wider community to feel we belong and are connected
meaning and purpose

Meaning makes a great many things endurable - perhaps everything."

C.G. Jung

self-esteem, which results from having our basic needs met and
a sense of achievement which comes from stretching ourselves to achieve meaningful goals, however small
a sense of status within social groupings

Watch this fascinating animated video. Career analyst Dan Pink explains clearly the benefits in the workplace of ensuring that people are enabled to meet the basic emotional needs of autonomy, mastery and purpose.

Our resources

We have been given all the resources necessary to meet our most essential needs. Here are some really important ones:

curiosity - an innate desire to learn more
memory - ability to develop long-term memory patterns - learning
imagination to help us focus away from problems towards creative solutions
a dreaming brain to metaphorically diffuse emotional arousal left over from the day
the ability to understand the world and people unconsciously through metaphorical pattern matching
an observing self that part of us that can look in on ourselves and is separate from intellect, emotions and conditioning
the ability to build rapport, empathise, and connect with others
a conscious rational mind

Search for the many Human Givens books

Amazon UK	Amazon USA

What happens when things go awry?

You are at risk of becoming unwell and unhappy, when your needs are not being met in balance or when you misuse your resources. For instance you might use your imagination to constantly worry, rather than solve problems.

What can be done about that?

A human givens therapist is trained to identify imbalances in your emotional needs. He/she will also help you make the best use of your innate resources.

Whatever your problem is, improvement is possible by bringing about positive changes in either or both sets of human givens. It means that human givens therapy is uniquely tailored to fit you personally.

To make an appointment, contact me as soon as possible.