Significance vs love & connection.
Two human needs that are generally at odds with each other.
If you have a need to be significant, special, unique, by default that means that you want to create distance between you and everyone else.
You’re beautiful.
You have an amazing life.
Awesome family.
Great holidays.
Successful entrepreneurial hustle.
It can be exhausting trying to keep this up, because it depends on how others perceive you.
You’ve. Got. To. Keep. Up.
Others have a need for love and connection.
People to share the lows and the highs of life.
Acceptance and rejections from university, jobs, partners.
Pain. Loss. Grief.
And on the other end…
Joy. Connection. Meaning.
You need the closeness of others, to share the glorious spectrum of human condition in the game of Life.
I make no judgements on anyone and what or how they choose to fulfil their needs, whether it be for significance or love and connection.
But I think it is important to be candid about what we do, and why we do it. What purpose does it serve and whether that gives us the meaning that we seek in our lives.
Whatever you do, do it with your eyes open.
Because doing it blindly, mindlessly, is to live a life that falls far short of its potential to bring deep joy.
We discussed this in yesterday’s #EmotionalIntelligence workshop.
These are just two of the human needs that drive us to do what we do.
What are your thoughts about thes two axes of human needs?
