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Radical Purpose

SERVING LIFE NEEDS IS OUR PURPOSE

Radically Smiling woman
"Life is not primarily a quest for pleasure, as Freud believed, or a quest for power, as Alfred Adler taught, but a quest for meaning."
— Viktor Frankl, Psychologist

Radical Purpose Dynamic

Abraham Maslow defined the Hierarchy of Needs nearly 80 years ago. It's time to update our understanding of life needs as neuroscience has revealed. The Radical Purpose Dynamic is not a hierarchy, but a set of interdependent life needs that produce motivation.



Understanding our life needs is an essential part of living a fulfilling life. Psychologists have long known about life needs — however, modern neuroscience has brought to light the significance of life needs to our society.

Radical Purpose Framework diagram

The Radical Purpose Dynamic frames life needs in a practical way.
Take the Radical Purpose Profile assessment and check out the Needs and Feelings Inventory.

Get Your Needs Profile Now

The Five Radical Life Needs

Our needs can be grouped into 5 radical needs. These needs align with what psychologist Robert Plutchik called the "fundamental problems of life." The radical needs motivate us to maintain our body, assess what is valuable, effect change, gain relationships, and assess our efficacy and that of others.

Being Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

BEING

Maintain Body

The Being Need motivates and regulates the body's physiological and stimulation needs.

Meaning Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

MEANING

Assess Value

The Meaning Need motivates and regulates seeking the freedom needed to discover and learn.

Impacting Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

IMPACTING

Effect Change

The Impacting Need motivates and regulates obtaining, changing, creating, and taking care of meaningful things.

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

BELONGING

Gain Relations

The Belonging Need motivates and regulates seeking, establishing, conforming, and maintaining social relationships with those you share similar meaning and impact.

Becoming Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

BECOMING

Assess Efficacy

The Becoming Need motivates and regulates the tracking of your and others' behavior towards one another and your accomplishments and personal growth.

COPYRIGHT RADICAL

Ver 1.2.5 - 2021-03-05

Radical Purpose Profile

Understanding ourselves leads to a more meaningful, impactful, and fulfilling life.

Though all healthy people have these needs, we each have them in different degrees. Understanding which of the needs we are high in helps us know ourselves, our feelings, and our behaviors better. We have developed an assessment app to provide you with your profile in as little as 6 minutes.

Your Needs Profile

This assessment tool is still in beta, however it's free to use at this point. Below is an example of the Needs Radar showing values in 25 different underlying needs across the 5 radical needs.

Of the many human needs, we have organized the dynamic to include 25 underlying needs that contribute to the 5 radical needs' fundamental purpose.  Scroll down for a more complete list of needs.

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

BEING

RELAX
SLEEP
NOURISH
MOVE
RHYTHM

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

MEANING

AUTONOMY
CURIOSITY
SAFETY
PLAY
SENSE-MAKING

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

IMPACTING

ACQUIRE
CREATE
ORDER
IMPACT
NURTURE

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

BELONGING

ADMIRE
CONFORM
CONNECT
BELONG
INTIMACY

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

BECOMING

FAIRNESS
RETALIATE
DOMINATE
STATUS
BECOME

COPYRIGHT RADICAL

Ver Beta-0.2.2 - 2021-05-18

Needs & Feelings List

Our human needs are integrally tied to our feelings.  By understanding your needs profile and the related feelings, you can learn to detect which needs are at play in a certain context.

Feelings are the window into our needs.

Our feelings are the first sign that our needs are either being met (positive feeling), or not met (negative feeling). Using the list below, you can identify what you're feeling and what need is causing the feeling. This will help you understand, communicate, and collaborate from the needs paradigm — leading to fulfilling work and life.

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

BEING

( NEEDS )
RELAX
 Rest
 Relaxation
 To-be-Left-Alone


SLEEP






NOURISH
 Air 
 Food
 Water
 Nutrition
 Sustenance
 Nourishment

MOVE
 Exercise
 Movement

RHYTHM
 Music
 Dance

BEING OTHER
 Dry & Warm
 Survival
 Wellness
 Comfort
 Recreation
 Touch
 Sexual Expression  Health
 Shelter

( FEELINGS )
RELAX

 Rested
 Relaxed
 Tired
 Exhausted


SLEEP

 Rested
 Reenergized
 Sleepy
 Tired
 Exhausted

NOURISH

 Satiated
 Satisfied
 Hungry
 Famished
 Thirsty
 Craving

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

MEANING

( NEEDS )
AUTONOMY
 Autonomy
 Choice
 Freedom
 Independence
 Space

CURIOSITY
 Discovery
 Adventure
 Mystery
 Exploration

SAFETY
 Safe 
 Protection-from-Harm
 Security

PLAY
 Humor
 Spontaneity
 Recreation

SENSE-MAKING
 Information
 Predictability
 Familiarity
 Stability
 Learn

OTHER MEANING
 Transparency
 Openness
 Meaning

( FEELINGS )
AUTONOMY
 Stifled
 Smothered

 Suffocated
 Held-Back

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

IMPACTING

( NEEDS )
ACQUIRE
 Home
 Shelter
 Resources
 Money

CREATE
 Creativity
 Innovation
 Innovate

ORDER
 Structure
 Beauty
 Consistency

IMPACT
 Contribute
 Contribution
 Collaboration  Competence

NURTURE
 Caring
 Kindness
 Nurturing
 Care
 Self-care
 Support

OTHER IMPACTING
 Initiative
 Celebrate-Life
 Celebrate-Loss
 Celebrate-Dreams-Fulfilled

( FEELINGS )
ACQUIRE
 Desire
 Crave
 Covet

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

BELONGING

( NEEDS )
ADMIRE
 Inspiration
 Respect


CONFORM
 Conform
 Honor

CONNECT
 Connection
 Bonding
 Closeness
 Mutuality

BELONG
 Communion
 Harmony
 Cooperation
 Fellowship
 Interdependence
 Solidarity
 Inclusion
 Belonging

INTIMACY
 Affection
 Warmth
 Caring
 Sexual  Connection
 Comforted
 Tenderness

( FEELINGS )
ADMIRE
 Admiration
 Adoration
 Worship

CONFORM

Belonging Dimension of the Radical Purpose Framework graphic

BECOMING

( NEEDS )
FAIRNESS
 Fairness
 Equality
 Reciprocity
 Trust
 Trusting
 Honesty
 Integrity

RETALIATE
 Respond
 Revenge
 Vengeance
 Get-Even
 Standup-for-Myself

DOMINATE
 Power
 Control
 Dominance
 Take-Charge

STATUS
 To-be-Seen
 To-Matter
 Importance
 Presence
 To-be-Known
 To-be-Heard
 To-be-Respected

BECOME
Achievement
Productivity
Self-Acceptance
Self-Worth
Self-Connection
Self-Esteem
Challenge Efficiency
Authenticity
Competence

OTHER BECOMING
 
Interdependence
 Self-Respect
 Wholeness
 Balance
 Growth
 Development
 To-be-Trusted
 Enrichment-of-Life
 Progress

( FEELINGS )
FAIRNESS
 Unfair
 Cheated
 Untrusting
 Suspicious


Radical's Needs & Feelings List reflects our research and the work of the Non-Violent Communications (NVC) community. This is a work in progress — additional research is underway.

COPYRIGHT RADICAL

Ver 0.2.5 - 2021-05-18

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