Throughout our lives, we are ruled by our basic instincts. Although we like to think we have more control over ourselves and our lives, we are mostly led by our subconscious and our gut reactions.
The more you know about these instincts, the better you will get to know yourself. Here are the 3 basic instincts that drive human behavior:
MORE: How Long Does It Take To Recover After A Breakup? Psychologists Have The Answer
1. Self-Preservation Instinct
This is about preserving our bodies and life itself and it’s usually very strong in most of us. The main ambition of people mostly driven by this instinct is to provide a safe environment for them at home and at work.
Main concerns:
Physical safety
Security
Comfort
Health
MORE: 7 Psychological Tricks That Will Make You A Mastermind
Stresses:
Money
Food and nutrition
Coping mechanisms:
Overbuying
Overeating
Oversleeping
Overindulging
MORE: Why You Need Emotional Intelligence In Your Everyday Life, According To Psychologists
2. Sexual Instinct
This is the drive to connect with others on a sexual level as well as to find someone or something that will make them feel complete.
Main concerns:
Connecting with people
Intense experiences
Intimacy
Attraction
Stresses:
Lack of emotional stimulation
Lack of intimacy or connections
Coping mechanism:
Lack of focus
Thrill-seeking
Sexual promiscuity
MORE: Big Boys Do Cry: Toxic Masculinity And Mental Health
3. Social Instinct
This is the drive to form strong bonds with other people and to interact in order to build personal value.
Main concerns:
Approval
Status
Accomplishments
Stresses:
Being accepted
Adjusting to others
Coping mechanisms:
Antisocial behavior
Stubbornness
Avoidance
These 3 basic instincts are found in all of us, but two are more dominant than the third. Learning more about how these drive our reactions in everyday life can help us become more aware and potentially a more balanced person. So think about which instinct is most dominant in your life right now and focus on developing the other two as well.
How to build your lesser used instinct
Self-Preservation
Try to create a safe and more comfortable environment for you where you can relax and thrive. It’s important that you save some time for yourself so you can relax more.
MORE: 20 Healthy Ways To Cope If You’re Feeling Stressed Out
Sexual Instinct
The answer is reaching out. You can try dating if you don’t already have a love interest in your life. It can also be helpful to spend time with friends and family so as to strengthen your bonds.
Social Instinct
Take some time to figure out where you stand in your circle of friends and socialize more. Think about your accomplishments, values and standards and work to make yourself proud.
So which of these basic instincts dominates you?
Please share!
