Human beings have certain needs, be it food, having a job or having a family. The individual is motivated by the desire to satisfy many of his needs. Therefore, Maslow created his theory of motivation considering a hierarchy of human needs. Do you know what the need for security is? In that Psychology-Online article, we are going to see What is the need for safety and security and how is it satisfied?with examples and clear explanations.
To understand what the need for security is, you must first know that there is a pyramid of human needs, created by the author and psychologist Abraham Maslow. He knows in depth the.
His well-known “Maslow’s Pyramid” is a theory that refers to human needs, in which each level of the pyramid is ordered according to a hierarchy of needs.
- In this way, at the base there are the physiological needswhich are the most basic needs of the human being, refers to the need to breathe, eat and rest.
- On the second level of the pyramid is the need for security. They refer to the human need for physical, resource, health and family security.
- In the middle of the pyramid is the “need for membership”, in which the individual feels the need to belong to a group of friends, to receive affection and sexual intimacy. In the following article, you will find more information about the .
- The next level of the pyramid is “need for recognition”, which refers to the esteem one feels for oneself. The high esteem that a human being feels is associated with feelings such as confidence, independence, importance, achievements, appreciation and dignity. In this article you can see.
- And at the last level of the pyramid is the need for self-realization, in which the person has a higher psychological need, is compatible with the idea of personal growth, the need to “be” and feel self-actualized. Here we explain the.
It is important to mention that in Maslow’s theory the next level of the pyramid is only reached when the previous level has been conquered.
Below we will see some examples in which the individual feels protected and has their need for security satisfied:
- Employment stability: The individual feels secure by having a job and consequently having a salary.
- Have a home: The individual feels safe and protected knowing that they have a house to live in.
- Have resources: An individual feels secure by having an income or in certain cases knowing that his or her family has income and resources.
- Physical security: An individual feels safe when he knows he is safe from physical threats.
- Mental security: An individual feels safe when they have their fears and anxieties controlled or balanced.
- Health: The individual feels secure when he knows that he enjoys good health.
Finally, it is worth observing that the security needs of Maslow’s pyramid are related above all to the way and conditions of life of the individual. According to the particularities of each life, one may or may not allow oneself to develop and begin to form one’s assets and capital.
Once the physiological needs are satisfied, the next level of the pyramid of needs corresponds to the need for security.
Security needs are those in which the individual basically seeks his or her own safety and protection. Additionally, within that level of the pyramid, there are also: job stability, income and resources, physical security, family security and personal property.
It is a level that also refers to the need that human beings have to feel safe in the face of some danger, such as violence or catastrophe. This need is also related to the existence of laws and limits that allow there to be order in society. .
When these needs are not met, complaints from citizens can generally occur, such as fear of walking on the street, especially when living in violent or dangerous neighborhoods.
So, the individual in search of satisfying his need for security, does what is necessary to find a quieter place where you can walk the streets more safely.
There are also complaints regarding safety and stability at work, referring to the fear that the individual feels of being arbitrarily resigned and not being able to support his family, for example. In this way, causing the loss of his job stability.
Another way for the individual to seek security and protection, for example, is by obtaining a financial stability or preserving your job.
The discomfort that the individual feels in these situations will only come to an end when the security needs are satisfied and in this way, they can continue to the next level of Maslow’s pyramid.