basic necessities of life essay

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What Are People’s Basic Needs? Six Things You Really Can’t Live Without

By Abby Watkins | July 10, 2019

People are united everywhere by a set of basic needs. These needs are key requirements not just for essential survival, but for long-term physical and mental well-being. As the world expands and changes, the definition of basic needs expands and changes as well. For instance, something like the Internet would not have been considered a “need” 20 years ago, but in 2019, Internet access is crucial to ensuring access to information for people everywhere.

The definition of a basic need is anything that is fundamentally connected to an individual’s physical or mental well-being.

These are humans’ six basic needs in the 21st century

Food is the basic source of energy and one of the most immediate requirements for day to day survival. The energy that food gives us is measured in calories and the number of calories a person needs is typically around 2000-2500 calories a day.

2. Drinking Water and Sanitation

Drinking water is water that is free of disease or pollutants, and is safe to be used for drinking or food preparation. Sanitation refers to services and facilities that properly dispose of human waste.

3. Healthcare

Healthcare is consistent access to medical treatment from trained professionals. Sufficient healthcare both treats immediate conditions and provides ongoing support to prevent future ailments.

Shelter is a permanent structure where people can take refuge from adverse weather and other outside conditions. Adequate shelter is durable, provides some degree of privacy, and is connected to the infrastructure of surrounding communities.

5. Education

Education is the process of teaching and learning critical skills including literacy and mathematics. Education boosts quality of life and is a necessary prerequisite for long-term self-sufficiency.

6. Access to Information

Access to information is a person’s ability to freely find and use information and make independent decisions on the basis of that information. Today, much of that access is facilitated through the Internet.

Meeting people’s needs now and in the future

International organizations continually reassess what a person needs to be fully integrated into our global society. When the United Nations first proposed this list of basic needs in the 1970s, the world looked significantly different than it does in 2019—among other things, the world population was less than half of what it is today. Even now, meeting these basic needs requires different things for different people: shelter should always be safe and durable, but what that means in southern Florida is not the same as what it means in Alaska.

Stay tuned for a follow-up post where we’ll explore the current status of each of these basic needs for people around the world, given today’s realities and projections for the future.

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Life Crafting as a Way to Find Purpose and Meaning in Life

Having a purpose in life is one of the most fundamental human needs. However, for most people, finding their purpose in life is not obvious. Modern life has a way of distracting people from their true goals and many people find it hard to define their purpose in life. Especially at younger ages, people are searching for meaning in life, but this has been found to be unrelated to actually finding meaning. Oftentimes, people experience pressure to have a “perfect” life and show the world how well they are doing, instead of following up on their deep-felt values and passions. Consequently, people may need a more structured way of finding meaning, e.g., via an intervention. In this paper, we discuss evidence-based ways of finding purpose, via a process that we call “life crafting.” This process fits within positive psychology and the salutogenesis framework – an approach focusing on factors that support human health and well-being, instead of factors that cause disease. This process ideally starts with an intervention that entails a combination of reflecting on one’s values, passions and goals, best possible self, goal attainment plans, and other positive psychology intervention techniques. Important elements of such an intervention are: (1) discovering values and passion, (2) reflecting on current and desired competencies and habits, (3) reflecting on present and future social life, (4) reflecting on a possible future career, (5) writing about the ideal future, (6) writing down specific goal attainment and “if-then” plans, and (7) making public commitments to the goals set. Prior research has shown that personal goal setting and goal attainment plans help people gain a direction or a sense of purpose in life. Research findings from the field of positive psychology, such as salutogenesis, implementation intentions, value congruence, broaden-and-build, and goal-setting literature, can help in building a comprehensive evidence-based life-crafting intervention. This intervention can aid individuals to find a purpose in life, while at the same time ensuring that they make concrete plans to work toward this purpose. The idea is that life crafting enables individuals to take control of their life in order to optimize performance and happiness.

The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins . —Bob Moawad

Introduction

Whether you love him or hate him, Arnold Schwarzenegger is an example of a person who has been planning his life and setting goals throughout. Given that he came from a small town in Austria, the chances of him becoming the person he is today were very slim. Although even his parents thought that his ideas of becoming a great body builder were outrageous and his fellow cadets made fun of him when he put in extra hours of training while he was in the military, holding on to his vision and dreams paid off in the end (see Schwarzenegger and Hall, 2012 ). So even though it was not obvious that he would achieve the goals he had set for himself, he made a plan and stuck to his plan to achieve his goals.

Now consider this story: Brian is CEO of a large bank, and seems by all standards to be living a fulfilling live. Although he is overseeing 1,200 employees, earns a good salary, has a nice house at the beach, and a wife and kids, he feels very unhappy with his current life. One day he decides that he does not want to live this life anymore and quits his job. He becomes a consultant (and his wife divorces him) but still struggles to find his passion. As he knows that the job he is doing is not his passion, he starts exploring what he would like to do. Unfortunately, having done things for so long that have not brought him satisfaction, only status and money, he seems to have trouble connecting to his “inner self.” In his search for why he has ended up this way, he realizes that he has been living the life his father had in mind for him. This leads him to think that, if it had not been for his father, he would probably have studied psychology instead of management.

These two, seemingly unrelated anecdotes, tell something very important: no matter how successful a person is in life, self-endorsed goals will enhance well-being while the pursuit of heteronomous goals will not (for a review see Ryan and Deci, 2001 ). This is an important statement and key to self-determination theory (SDT, Ryan and Deci, 2000 ), a macro-theory of human motivation, stressing the importance of self-motivated and self-determined goals to guide behavior for well-being and happiness. Goal attainment from self-concordant goals, or goals that fulfill basic needs and are aligned with one’s values and passions, has been related to greater subjective well-being ( Sheldon, 2002 ), higher vitality ( Nix et al., 1999 ), higher levels of meaningfulness ( McGregor and Little, 1998 ), and lower symptoms of depression ( Sheldon and Kasser, 1998 ). Self-concordant goals satisfy basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, key attributes of SDT ( Ryan and Deci, 2001 ), and have been found to be important across cultures (see Sheldon et al., 2004 ). With an increasing number of young people experiencing mental health problems, increasing health care costs and an aging society, the interest in cost-effective behavioral interventions that can improve mental and physical health is burgeoning (e.g., Oettingen, 2012 ; Fulmer et al., 2018 ; Chan et al., 2019 ; Wilson et al., 2019 ; for reviews see Wilson, 2011 ; Walton, 2014 ). Especially promising is the research on the topic of meaning and purpose in life ( Steger, 2012 ). People with a purpose in life are less likely to experience conflict when making health-related decisions and are more likely to self-regulate when making these decisions and consequently experience better (mental) health outcomes ( Kang et al., 2019 ). Furthermore, having a purpose in life can aid in overcoming stress, depression, anxiety, and other psychological problems (see Kim et al., 2014 ; Freedland, 2019 ). Finally, purpose in life has been related to a decrease in mortality across all ages ( Hill and Turiano, 2014 ). It thus appears that many benefits may be gained by enhancing meaning and purpose in life. However, even if people realize they are in need of a purpose, the search for meaning does not automatically lead to its presence, and people searching for meaning are no more or less likely to plan for and anticipate their future ( Steger et al., 2008b ). This somewhat counterintuitive finding, showing that among undergraduate students the search for meaning is even inversely related to presence of meaning, points to the fact that the strategies people use to find meaning may not be very effective ( Steger et al., 2008b ). Early in life, the search for meaning is not negatively related to well-being, but the relationship between search for meaning and well-being becomes increasingly negative in later life stages ( Steger et al., 2009 ). This means that even if people search for meaning, they may not find it, unless they are prompted to do so in an evidence-based manner, e.g., via a positive psychology intervention. Especially adolescents and young adults should be stimulated to search for meaning in an organized manner in order to experience higher levels of well-being early in life so that they can be more likely to have an upward cycle of positive experiences. An intervention to bring about purpose in life may be a promising way to achieve this. Recent research suggests that interventions aimed at enhancing purpose in life can be particularly effective if they are done early on, during adolescence and/or as part of the curriculum in schools ( Morisano et al., 2010 ; Bundick, 2011 ; Schippers et al., 2015 ).

These interventions address an important contemporary problem, as illustrated by the two anecdotes above, namely that, many people drift aimlessly through life or keep changing their goals, running around chasing “happiness” ( Donaldson et al., 2015 ). Others, as in the example of Brian above, live the life that their parents or significant others have in mind for them ( Kahl, 1953 ). Several authors have indeed noted that the role of parents in students’ study and career choices has been under-researched ( Jodl et al., 2001 ; Taylor et al., 2004 ), but choosing one’s study and career path according to one’s own preferences is likely to be more satisfying than living the life that others have in mind for one. Recently, it has been noted that especially “socially prescribed” perfectionism where people try to live up to the standards of other and also seek their approval is related to burn-out, depression and a lack of experienced meaning ( Suh et al., 2017 ; Garratt-Reed et al., 2018 ; Curran and Hill, 2019 ). In our society, education is highly valued, but less emphasis is placed on structured reflection about values, goals, and plans for what people want in life. Oftentimes, education fosters maladaptive forms of perfectionism, instead of adaptive forms ( Suh et al., 2017 ). Even if parents and educators do ask children what they want to become when they grow up, this most important question is not addressed in a consistent way that helps them to make an informed choice ( Rojewski, 2005 ). Parents and educators tend to look at the children’s competences, rather than what they want to become and what competences they would need to develop in order to become that person ( Nurra and Oyserman, 2018 ). Consequently, many people only occupy themselves with the daily events in their lives, while others try to keep every aspect of their lives under control and live the life that others have in mind for them. Some have an idea of what they want but have not thought about it carefully. Others may have too many goals, or conflicting goals, which is also detrimental to health and well-being ( Kelly et al., 2015 ). Finally, parents and others with the best of intentions sometimes have goals in mind for children to pursue ( Williams et al., 2000 ; Tamis-LeMonda et al., 2008 ).

A study by Nurra and Oyserman (2018) showed that children that were guided to experience connection between their current and adult future self, worked more and attained better school grades than children guided to experience low connection. Importantly, this was moderated to the extent that children saw school as the path to one’s adult future self. It seems important that people formulate and think about their (ideal) future self and that the present and future self are connected, e.g., by means of a goal-setting intervention. Studies among students also showed the importance of goal congruence. For instance, Sheldon and Kasser (1998) found that although students with stronger social and self-regulatory skills made more progress in their goals, and goal progress predicted subjective well-being (SWB), while the increase in well-being depended on the level of goal-congruence. Similarly, Sheldon and Houser-Marko (2001) found that entering freshman students with self-concordant motivation had an upward spiral of goal-attainment, increased adjustment, self-concordance, higher ego development, and academic performance after the first year. This points to the importance of making sure people reflect on and develop self-concordant goals ( Locke and Schippers, 2018 ). If people have not formulated their own goals, there is a chance that they will lose contact with their core values and passions,” ( Seto and Schlegel, 2018 ) as was the case in the anecdote of Brian. It may even feel as if they are living someone else’s life. For several reasons, it is important that people take matters into their own hands and reflect on and formulate their own goals in important areas of life ( Williams et al., 2000 ). Indeed, people may have more influence on their own life than they think. Studies have already shown the beneficial effects of both job crafting—where employees actively reframe their work physically, cognitively, and socially (e.g., Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001 ; Demerouti, 2014 ; Vogt et al., 2016 ; Wessels et al., 2019 )—and leisure crafting ( Petrou and Bakker, 2016 ; Vogel et al., 2016 ; Petrou et al., 2017 ). A recent study by Demerouti et al. (2019) suggested that the beneficial implications of job crafting transcend life boundaries, which the authors state have also consequences in terms of experiencing meaning in life.

Building on the above, we suggest that the conscious process of “life crafting” could be similarly beneficial in helping people to find fulfillment and happiness (see Berg et al., 2010 ; Schippers, 2017 ). Importantly, life crafting is related to the most important areas of life, and thus allows for a more holistic approach in terms of shaping one’s life. We formally define life crafting as: a process in which people actively reflect on their present and future life, set goals for important areas of life—social, career, and leisure time—and, if required, make concrete plans and undertake actions to change these areas in a way that is more congruent with their values and wishes.

The process of life crafting fits with positive psychology and specifically the salutogenesis framework, which states that the extent to which people view their life as having positive influence on their health, explains why people in stressful situations stay well and may even be able to improve adaptive coping ( Antonovsky, 1996 ). Salutogenesis focuses on factors that can support health, well-being, and happiness, as opposed to factors that cause disease (pathogenesis). The salutogenetic model with its’ central element “sense of coherence” is concerned with relationships around health, stress, and coping ( Johnson, 2004 ). In his approach, Antonovsky views health and illness as a continuum, rather than a dichotomy ( Langeland et al., 2007 ). Importantly, the framework assumes that people have resources available (biological, material, and psychosocial) that enable them to construct coherent life experiences ( Mittelmark et al., 2017 ). The idea of salutogenesis is also closely tied to the literature on human flourishing that states that health defined as the absence of illness or disease does not do justice to what it means to be well and thriving ( Ryff and Singer, 2000 ). Broaden-and-build theory can be used to make sense of how this may work out in practice: if people imagine a better future, they will be on the lookout for resources, because they have developed a more positive and optimistic mindset ( Fredrickson, 2001 ; Meevissen et al., 2011 ). Over time, this broader mindset helps them to acquire more skills and resources and this may in turn lead to better health, happiness, and performance ( Garland et al., 2010 ). When people have a purpose in life and are more balanced, this may have positive ripple effects on the people around them ( Barsade, 2002 ; Quinn, 2005 ; Quinn and Quinn, 2009 ). Recent research suggests that health benefits of having stronger purpose in life are attributable to focused attention to and engagement in healthier behaviors ( Kang et al., 2019 ). Indeed, stronger purpose in life is associated with greater likelihood of using preventative health services and better health outcomes ( Kim et al., 2014 ). Importantly, the process through which purpose leads to health outcomes seems to be that people with a purpose in life are better able to respond positively to health messages. They showed reduced conflict-related neural activity during health decision-making relevant to longer-term lifestyle changes. Thus, having a purpose in life makes it easier for people to self-regulate ( Kang et al., 2019 ). These results are very promising, as it seems that having a purpose in life can have both mental and physical health benefits, and behavioral interventions to increase purpose in life have been shown to be very cost-effective (e.g., Wilson et al., 2019 ). Importantly, purpose in life by writing about personal goals has been associated with improved academic performance ( Morisano et al., 2010 ; Schippers et al., 2015 , 2019 ; Travers et al., 2015 ; Schippers, 2017 ; Locke and Schippers, 2018 ).

Even so, thinking about how to attain a purpose in life via a process of life crafting can raise many questions. These include: what is the best way to set personal, self-congruent goals and start the process of life crafting? How does it work? Does the type of goal matter? Does the act of writing the goals down make a difference? Does it increase resourcefulness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation?

Research suggests that reflecting on and writing down personal goals is especially important in helping people to find purpose and live a fulfilling life ( King and Pennebaker, 1996 ; King, 2001 ), and that in general writing sessions longer than 15 min have larger effects ( Frattaroli, 2006 ). Indeed, the research on writing about life goals has been noted by Edwin Locke as a very important future development of goal-setting theory ( Locke, 2019 ). Recent research shows that goals need not be specific, as long as plans are, and that writing about life goals and plans in a structured way is especially effective ( Locke and Schippers, 2018 ; for a review see Morisano et al., 2010 ; Morisano, 2013 ; Schippers et al., 2015 ; Travers et al., 2015 ). As goal-relevant actions may be encouraged by embodied cognition, and embodied cognition has been related to (dynamic) self-regulation, this may be the process through which written goals lead to action (see Balcetis and Cole, 2009 ). Specifically, through the link between cognition and behavior, it can be seen as beneficial to write down intended actions as this will lay the path to act out the intended actions. The processing of the language facilitates the actions, as it consolidates the imagined actions ( Addis et al., 2007 ; Balcetis and Cole, 2009 ; Peters et al., 2010 ; Meevissen et al., 2011 ). It has been suggested that goal-relevant actions may be encouraged by embodied cognition, through the process of self-regulation ( Balcetis and Cole, 2009 ). Writing about actions one wants to take and very detailed experience in how it would feel to reach those goals, may make it much more likely for people to subtly change their behavior and actions into goal-relevant ones (e.g., looking for opportunities to reach ones goal, thinking more clearly if one wants to spend time on certain activities or not, etc.). Also, the writing can make sure that people realize the gap between actual and desired states regarding goals, and act as a starting point for self-regulatory actions (see King and Pennebaker, 1996 ). According to Karoly (1993 , p. 25), “The processes of self-regulation are initiated when routinized activity is impeded or when goal-directedness is otherwise made salient (e.g., the appearance of a challenge, the failure of habitual action patterns, etc.). Self-regulation may be said to encompass up to five interrelated and iterative component phases of (1) goal selection, (2) goal cognition, (3) directional maintenance, (4) directional change or reprioritization, and (5) goal termination.” We believe that the process of writing about self-concordant goals makes (1) the necessity of goal-directed action salient, (2) starts a process of embodied cognition and dynamic self-regulation, and (3) starts an upward spiral of goal-congruence, goal attainment, and (academic) performance. Dynamic self-regulation is needed in the context of multiple goal pursuits where people manage competing demands on time and resources ( Iran-Nejad and Chissom, 1992 ; Neal et al., 2017 ). In short, although goals are an important part of any intervention involving life crafting, the intervention and its effects are much broader. Such an intervention may be especially beneficial for college students, as it has been shown that students have lower goal-autonomy than their parents and parents reported higher levels of positive affect, lower levels of negative affect, as well as greater life-satisfaction ( Sheldon et al., 2006 ).

In the interventions to date, which have been mainly conducted with students, individuals write about their envisioned future life and describe how they think they can achieve this life, including their plans for how to overcome obstacles and monitor their goals (i.e., goal attainment plans or GAP; e.g., Schippers et al., 2015 ). Both goal setting and goal attainment plans have been shown to help people gain a direction or a sense of purpose in life. Research in the area of positive psychology explains that people with a purpose in life live longer, have a better immune system, and perform better, even when one controls for things such as lifestyle, personality, and other factors relating to longevity (for a review see Schippers, 2017 ). At the same time, it has been suggested that relatively small interventions can have a huge impact on people’s lives ( Walton, 2014 ). Writing about values, passion, and goals is an example of such an intervention, and we claim that having a purpose in life is fundamental and has ripple effects to all areas of life, including health, longevity, self-regulation, engagement, happiness, and performance ( Schippers, 2017 ).

In order to provide a stronger theoretical foundation for this claim, we will describe the development of a comprehensive evidence-based life-crafting intervention that can help people find a purpose in life. The intervention shows very specific actions people can take to fulfill that meaning. We start by assessing existing interventions aimed at setting personal goals and will explore the theoretical and evidence-based foundation for those interventions. After that, we describe what a life-crafting intervention should ideally look like. We end with various recommendations for to how to ensure that many people can profit from this intervention (see also Schippers et al., 2015 ).

Ikigai, Meaning in Life, and Life Crafting

The meaning of life used to be an elusive concept for scientists, but in the last couple of years much progress has been made in this area. According to Buettner and Skemp (2016) , ikigai—a Japanese term for purpose in life—was one of the reasons why people in certain areas of the world, known as “longevity hotspots,” had such long lives (see also Buettner, 2017 ). As our medical knowledge of longevity is increasing (e.g., Oeppen and Vaupel, 2002 ; Menec, 2003 ; Kontis et al., 2017 ), so too is our understanding of the associated psychological factors. These days, we have more knowledge of how people can live a meaningful life. Research has shown that ikigai, or purpose in life is related to increases in health and longevity across cultures, sexes, and age groups ( Sone et al., 2008 ; Boyle et al., 2009 ). This relationship has been found even when things such as lifestyle, positive relationships with others, and general affect were controlled for in the analyses ( Hill and Turiano, 2014 ). Note that, although a purpose in life sounds rather unclear or undefinable, people can derive a purpose in life from many different activities. It has been found that these activities can range from volunteering to giving social support to the elderly or even taking care of pets, and all of these have been shown to be related to an increase in happiness, better health outcomes, and greater longevity (for a review see McKnight and Kashdan, 2009 ). Indeed, in a study of 43,391 Japanese adults, it was found that, over a seven-year follow-up period, mortality was lower among those subjects who indicated that they had found a sense of ikigai or purpose in life (see also Sone et al., 2008 ; Schippers, 2017 ). Research among Japanese students has shown that enjoyable and effortful leisure pursuits can enhance student’s perception of ikigai. Ikigai was defined by the authors as “the subjective perceptions that one’s daily life is worth living and that it is full of energy and motivation” ( Kono et al., 2019 ). They also found that leisure activity participation, general satisfaction with leisure activities, and the positive evaluation of leisure experiences were related to higher perception of ikigai ( Kono, 2018 ; Kono and Walker, 2019 ). ( Martela and Steger, 2016 ) suggested that meaning in life has three components: coherence, purpose, and significance. They state that “meaning in life necessarily involves (1) people feeling that their lives matter, (2) making sense of their lives, and (3) determining a broader purpose for their lives” ( Martela and Steger, 2016 ). Also, Heintzelman et al. (2013) note that there are numerous positive physical and mental outcomes associated with self-reported meaning in life, such as health, occupational adjustment, adaptive coping, lower incidence of psychological disorders, slower age-related cognitive decline, and decreased mortality. Both the theory of ikigai and salutogenesis stress the coherence and purpose part, and other researchers have also picked up on these important elements (e.g., Urry et al., 2004 ; Martela and Steger, 2016 ). A review by Martela and Steger (2016) distinguished coherence, purpose, and significance as defining elements of meaning in life. Relatedly, theorizing around ikigai has shown that a sense of coherence develops around three distinct mechanisms, (1) valued experiences, (2) authentic relationships, and (3) directionality ( Kono, 2018 ).

Practically, the importance of happiness to cultures and nations across the world has been indicated clearly by the value placed on it by the United Nations (UN). In 2012, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commissioned the first World Happiness Report, ranking countries according to people’s level of happiness. The UN’s 2016 Sustainable Development Goals Report included the goal of ensuring sustainable social and economic progress worldwide. In the UN’s 2017 happiness report, “eudaimonia,” a sense of meaning or purpose in life similar to ikigai, is mentioned as an important factor. This is based on research showing the importance of eudaimonic well-being. Indeed a review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being concluded that autonomy and the integration of goals are important predictors of vitality and health ( Ryan and Deci, 2001 ; Huppert et al., 2004 ) see also ( Ryff, 2014 ). Self-determination theory, a macro theory of human motivation and personality, proposes that only self-endorsed goals will enhance well-being ( Ryan and Deci, 2000 ). This pattern of findings is congruent with the examples we started with (i.e., the self-endorsed goals of Schwarzenegger and the heteronomous goals of Brian) and has also been supported in cross-cultural research, showing that the autonomy of goal pursuit matters in collectivistic and individualistic cultures, and for males and females ( Hayamizu, 1997 ; Vallerand et al., 1997 ; Chirkov and Ryan, 2001 ; Ryan and Deci, 2001 ). As Ryan and Deci (2001 , p. 161) conclude: “It is clear that, as individuals pursue aims they find satisfying or pleasurable, they may create conditions that make more formidable the attainment of well-being by others. An important issue, therefore, concerns the extent to which factors that foster individual well-being can be aligned or made congruent with factors that facilitate wellness at collective or global levels.”

The above shows that finding a purpose in life can have far-reaching consequences for individual happiness and performance but also for the well-being and happiness of people around them ( Ryan and Deci, 2001 ). However, finding a purpose in life often requires a lengthy search, and some people never manage to find purpose in life ( Schippers, 2017 ). The developments in terms of ensuring people find their true passion and at the same time help make the world a better place coincide with exciting developments in the area of social psychology. Positive psychology, or the scientific study of human flourishing that aims to optimize human functioning within communities and organizations, has become very influential both within and outside the scientific community ( Gable and Haidt, 2005 ; Donaldson et al., 2015 ; Al Taher, 2019 ). It should be noted, however, that this area of study has also faced some criticism, as positive psychology behaviors such as forgiveness may not be functional in all contexts and circumstances ( McNulty and Fincham, 2012 ). Nevertheless, several studies have shown that human flourishing is related to mental and physical health (e.g., Park et al., 2016 ), and reviews and meta-analyses have shown that positive psychology interventions work in terms of improving well-being and (academic) performance ( Sin and Lyubomirsky, 2009 ; Durlak et al., 2011 ; Mongrain and Anselmo-Matthews, 2012 ; Waters, 2012 ). Thus, making sure that people receive positive psychology interventions, especially those relating to purpose in life, seems a viable and inexpensive way to help millions of people to have a better and healthier life ( Menec, 2003 ; Seligman et al., 2005 ). Personal goal setting and life crafting seem the best way forward in this respect.

Values, Passion, and Personal Goal Setting

Life choices can be seen as crucial turning points in someone’s existence. Yet, most people find it difficult to make such important decisions. In particular, young adults struggle with the important life decisions they are expected to make as they move into early adulthood ( Sloan, 2018 ). Recent research has shown that people with a purpose in life are less likely to experience regulatory issues during health decision-making and find it easier to make positive health-related lifestyle decisions ( Kang et al., 2019 ), and it may be especially important to find a purpose in life for young adults ( Schippers, 2017 ). Without such a purpose in life, a lot of time and energy is often “fretted away” on social media and on “busyness,” for instance ( Bruch and Ghoshal, 2002 , 2004 ; for a review see Schippers and Hogenes, 2011 ). At the same time, many people complain of having a lack of time, and it seems that it is more and more important to make conscious decisions on what to spend time on ( Menzies, 2005 ). Life crafting using a personal goal setting intervention seems an important prerequisite in making these decisions. While in the past goal-setting theory has always stressed the importance of specific measurable goals ( Locke and Latham, 2002 ), the act of writing about personal goals seems to be effective by defining very broad goals and linking these to specific goal-attainment plans. Research on the act of writing about personal goals started with Pennebaker’s research on traumatic writing ( Pennebaker, 1997 ; Pennebaker and Chung, 2011 ). It was shown that writing about traumatic events was related to a decrease in depression and an increase in mental health ( Gortner et al., 2006 ; Pennebaker and Chung, 2011 ). King (2001) suggested that future-oriented writing about one’s “best possible self” has a similar positive effect on an individual’s well-being, without the short-lived negative effect on mood that occurred after writing about traumatic events. Indeed, it has been shown that imagining one’s best possible self increases optimism and lowers depression (for a meta-analysis see Peters et al., 2010 ; Malouff and Schutte, 2017 ). Oyserman et al. (2006) found that a brief intervention that connected the positive “academic possible selves” of low-income minority high-school students with specific goal-attainment strategies improved their grades, standardized test scores, and moods.

Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who had survived the holocaust, used his experience to formulate a theory on the meaning of life. He concluded that life can have meaning even in the most impoverished circumstances ( Frankl, 1985 , 2014 ). This is interesting, since this also means that good conditions are not an absolute prerequisite for formulating a goal in life. In contrast, it seems that having a goal in life can make people more resilient in terms of surviving harsh conditions. Wong (2014) described the logotherapy developed by Frankl as consisting of five testable hypotheses, including the self-transcendence hypothesis, the ultimate meaning hypothesis, and the meaning mindset hypothesis. These predict among other things that belief in the intrinsic meaning and value of life, regardless of circumstances contributes to well-being, and that a “meaning mindset,” as compared to a “success mindset,” leads to greater eudaimonic happiness and resilience ( Wong, 2014 ). While this is important in terms of knowing what works for well-being and happiness, when people do not have a clear sense of purpose in life or know what they value in life and why, writing down their thoughts and formulating a strategy for their life is important. That does not have to be a lengthy process, but spending a few hours every couple of years might be enough (and is more than most people do).

People who keep searching for meaning without finding it, or who have conflicting goals, are often dissatisfied with themselves and their relationships ( Steger et al., 2009 ). It is quite natural that in earlier stages of their life, people are often still searching for a sense of purpose or meaning in life. However, as stated before, later in life the search for meaning is related to lower levels of well-being ( Steger et al., 2009 ). There is some evidence that having a sense of purpose is associated with organized goal structures and pursuit of goals and provides centrality in a person’s identity ( Emmons, 1999 ; McKnight and Kashdan, 2009 ). It is thus important that people start thinking about their purpose in life as early as possible and repeat this process at all stages of life when they feel they should readdress their goals, such as when going to college, starting a new job, etc.

Warding Off Anxiety and Having a Fulfilling Life—Two Side of the Same Coin?

Another line of research has focused on the role of purpose as a protective mechanism against various types of psychological threat, such as mortality salience, or the awareness of an individual that death is inevitable, causing existential anxiety (for a meta-analysis see Burke et al., 2010 ). These are anxiety-provoking experiences and are common for most people. Ways of coping include having a purpose in life and striving for and accomplishing goals as well as strengthening close relationships ( Pyszczynski et al., 2004 ; Hart, 2014 ). In line with this, research in the area of terror management has shown that self-esteem as well as a worldview that renders existence meaningful, coherent and permanent buffers against existential anxiety resulting from mortality salience ( Burke et al., 2010 ; Pyszczynski et al., 2015 ). Indeed, death reflection, a cognitive state in which people put their life in context and contemplate about meaning and purpose, as well as review how others will perceive them after they have passed ( Cozzolino et al., 2004 ), has been proposed as an important prerequisite for prosocial motivation sometimes influencing career decisions ( Grant and Wade-Benzoni, 2009 ). Reducing anxiety and living a fulfilling and meaningful life are two sides of the same coin, since having a purpose in life gives people the idea that their life will continue to have meaning, even after their death ( Ryan and Deci, 2004 ; McKnight and Kashdan, 2009 ).

The Science of Wise Interventions

Starting with the work of Kurt Lewin (e.g., Lewin, 1938 ), and after decades of research and testing, we now have a much better sense of what works and what does not in terms of psychological interventions. Most of these interventions aim to change behavior and improve people’s lives. In general, these work by changing people’s outlook on life: by giving them a sense of purpose. This is the basis of most interventions that also deal with coping with stressors and life transitions, for instance. Goal setting with the aim of formulating a purpose in life is one of the psychology’s most powerful interventions, and it has been shown that even a short and seemingly simple intervention can have profound effects ( Wilson, 2011 ; Walton, 2014 ). In his review, Walton (2014) describes the “new science of wise interventions”: precise interventions aimed at altering specific psychological processes that contribute to major social problems or prevent people from flourishing. These “wise” interventions are capable of producing significant benefits and do so over time ( Walton, 2014 ). These interventions are “psychologically precise, often brief, and often aim to alter self-reinforcing processes that unfold over time and, thus, to improve people’s outcomes in diverse circumstances and long into the future” ( Walton, 2014 , p. 74). Writing down personal goals in a guided writing exercise seems to constitute such an intervention.

How and Why Does It Work?

Narrative writing has been shown to help people in transition phases cope with life stressors ( Pennebaker et al., 1990 ). Students writing about their thoughts and feelings about entering college showed better health outcomes and improved their grades more significantly than students in a control condition. Also, the experimental group had less home-sickness and anxiety 2–3 months after the writing exercise.

Locke (2019) notes that “…writing about goals in an academic setting for two hours or more would connect with grade goals by implication even if the students did not mention them. The writing process would presumably have motivated them to generalize, to think about what they wanted to achieve in many aspects of their lives and encouraged commitment to purposeful action in more domains than were mentioned” (p. 3). On the same page, he also states that “The above issues could occupy interested researchers for many years.”

Broaden-and-build theory suggests that thinking about an idealized future will be associated with positive thoughts about this future, leading to increased levels of self-regulation, resilience, self-efficacy, and in turn engagement (e.g., Tugade et al., 2004 ; Tugade and Fredrickson, 2004 ; Ceja and Navarro, 2009 ; Fay and Sonnentag, 2012 ). Self-regulation is defined as “self-generated thoughts, feelings, and actions that are planned and cyclically related to the attainment of personal goals” ( Boekaerts et al., 2005 , p. 14). Many authors contend that goal setting enhances self-regulation and agree that this is the mechanism by which goals are related to action ( Latham and Locke, 1991 ; Oettingen et al., 2000 ; Hoyle and Sherrill, 2006 ).

Next to this, the intervention itself may be a form of embodied writing, an act of embodiment, entwining in words our senses with the senses of the world ( Anderson, 2001 ), stimulating what has been written down to act out in real life. However, theorizing around embodied writing and the act of writing as a form of embodied cognition is still in an embryonic stage. Especially research around the effect on writing on our daily actions is lacking in evidence. There is plenty of evidence that these small, written interventions have an effect and can even play a role in redirecting people (e.g., Wilson, 2011 ) and that these interventions can have a powerful effects in terms of behavioral change ( Yeager and Walton, 2011 ; Walton, 2014 ). At the same time, it should be noted that these psychological interventions are powerful but context-dependent tools that should not be seen as quick fixes ( Yeager and Walton, 2011 ). However, in the intervention described in the current paper, people are asked to think about their deepest feelings and motivations and write them down, and embodied cognition may very well play a role in the upward spiral resulting from such an intervention.

Goal Domain

An important discussion in the literature is whether having a self-serving purpose ( hedonistic , focused on attainment of pleasure and avoidance of pain) or one that is oriented toward helping others ( eudaimonic , focused on meaning and self-realization) is more beneficial for happiness ( Ryan and Deci, 2001 ; Keyes et al., 2002 ). Hedonistic and eudaimonic well-being seem to represent two different kinds of happiness ( Kashdan et al., 2008 ). Although recent research has confirmed that both are related to well-being ( Henderson et al., 2013 ), it is also conceivable that a purely hedonistic lifestyle may be unrelated to psychological well-being in the long run (see Huppert et al., 2004 ; Anić and Tončić, 2013 ; Baumeister et al., 2013 ). According to Schippers (2017 , p. 21), “prior research has shown that altruistic goals may be particularly helpful in terms of optimizing happiness. Studies on ‘random acts of kindness’—selfless acts to help or cheer up other people—have shown that these acts strengthen the well-being at least of the person performing that act ( Otake et al., 2006 ; Nelson et al., 2016 ).” Other research has shown that helping others is better for one’s well-being than giving oneself treats ( Nelson et al., 2016 ). A study by ( Steger et al., 2008a ) suggested that “doing good” may be an important avenue by which people create meaningful and satisfying lives. Also, it has been found that pursuing happiness through social engagement is related to higher well-being ( Ford et al., 2015 ).

Toward an Integrated Life-Crafting Intervention

The elements discussed above provide the context for developing a potentially effective life-crafting intervention. Although most agree that describing an ideal vision of the future would be a key element of such an intervention, below we identify other elements that should be included, whether the intervention is designed to improve well-being, happiness, performance, or all of these. According to McKnight and Kashdan (2009) , “the creation of goals consistent with one’s purpose may be critical to differentiating between real purpose and illusory purpose” (p. 249). Recent research also showed that it is better to have no calling than an unfulfilled calling (see Berg et al., 2010 ; Gazica and Spector, 2015 ), making it also a boundary condition that people follow through on this. The importance of following through was shown in a 15-week study aimed at finding out whether engaging in trait-typical behaviors predicted trait change ( Hudson et al., 2018 ). In this study, students provided self-report ratings of their personality and were required to complete weekly “challenges”—prewritten behavioral goals (e.g., “Before you go to bed, reflect on a positive social experience you had during the day and what you liked about it”). These challenges were aimed at aligning their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with their desired traits (in case of the example this was extraversion). Importantly, results indicated that the mere acceptance of challenges was unrelated to trait changes. Only actually completing the challenges and performing these behaviors predicted trait change ( Hudson et al., 2018 ). This may also hold true for the intervention described below and may be an important boundary condition. Although we have not found any negative effects of the intervention so far, theoretically it is possible that students formulate an “unanswered calling” which may impact happiness, well-being, and performance negatively. So far, only one study did not find the positive effects of a goal-setting intervention on academic outcomes ( Dobronyi et al., 2019 ). This might indicate that for some groups (in this case economy students) the (brief) intervention is not effective in bringing about behavioral change and increasing academic achievement. Other studies showed a positive effect among management students ( Schippers et al., 2015 ) and self-nominated struggling students ( Morisano et al., 2010 ).

Below we provide broad outlines of one such evidence-based intervention, having first set out in brief the case for this particular intervention. Aligning itself to the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), which relate to economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection ( Stafford-Smith et al., 2017 ), Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) changed its mission to being a force for positive change in the world ( Rood, 2019 ). As RSM is educating future leaders, in 2011, it introduced a goal-setting intervention so that first-year students could reflect on their personal goals and values. This is a three-stage intervention. In the first part, students write about their values and wishes as well as their ideal life and the life they wish to avoid, and in the second, they describe their specific goals and goal plans. The third part involves a photoshoot with a professional photographer, where students formulate a statement starting with “I WILL…,” (e.g., I WILL pursue my goal, I WILL inspire and facilitate sustainable development, I WILL create healthier businesses for a healthier world, and I WILL lead by example and inspire others to reach their goals). 1 This statement and the photo are then put on social media and displayed throughout the school.

The evidence-based goal-setting intervention has had a positive effect on study success, as has been shown by higher academic achievement and decreased dropout rates ( Locke et al., 2014 ; Locke and Schippers, 2018 ). This was particularly true for ethnic minority and male students, who had underperformed in previous years ( Schippers et al., 2015 ; for an elaborate description of the intervention see the supplementary material). In the meantime, plans have been made to make sure that the intervention is an integral part of the curriculum, so that students will develop skills for self-management and management of others and will consider what impact they can have on the world.

Elements of the Life-Crafting Intervention

Although developed for students, this intervention could also be useful for people who wish to discover a meaning in life and write down their goals. In the first part of this intervention, people discover what is important to them in all areas of life and write about what they feel passionate about. While this part is aimed at making sure they discover their values and passions, the second part is designed to enable them to put those values and passions into a number of goals and to ensure they formulate plans and back-up plans for achieving those goals ( Schippers et al., 2015 ). In terms of the intervention in this paper, the practical questions that address these issues are shown in section 3 of Table 1 .

Elements and description of a life-crafting intervention.

Discovering Values and Passion

Discovering one’s passion has two sides: Doing what you “like” is often said to be important, but it seems that discovering what you find “important” is more helpful in igniting passion, as this is more values-based and will contribute to self-concordance ( Sheldon and Houser-Marko, 2001 ; Ryff and Singer, 2008 ). Recent research (e.g., Jachimowicz et al., 2017 ) has shown that it is important that people pursue a career that is in line with what they find to be “important,” rather than engaging in activities that they “like”; it found that those who engaged in activities that they liked (feelings-oriented mindset) exhibited less passion than those who engaged in activities that they thought were important (values-oriented mindset). Thus, while it is important that people discover what they feel passionate about, ideally this passion should also be aligned with values that they hold dear, such as collaboration, equality, and honesty ( Sheldon, 2002 ).

There is, however, also a difference between harmonious and obsessive passion (for a meta-analysis, see Vallerand et al., 2003 ; Curran et al., 2015 ). People with an obsessive work passion experience more conflict between work and other areas of life, and work is more related to their self-worth ( Vallerand et al., 2003 ). Harmonious passion was shown to be related to positive outcomes such as flow and enhanced performance, whereas obsessive passion was related more to negative outcomes, such as excessive rumination and decreased vitality ( Curran et al., 2015 ). Discovering a (harmonious) passion is not always easy.

In a life-crafting intervention, questions on this area could be similar to those listed in section 1 of Table 1 , involving also life style choices. In particular, choosing a lifestyle that involves physical activity seems to be a powerful way not only to increase self-regulation and self-control (for a review see Baumeister et al., 2006 ; Oaten and Cheng, 2006 ), but also to prevent mental illness, foster positive emotions, buffer individuals against the stresses of life, and help people thrive when they have experienced adversity ( Faulkner et al., 2015 , p. 207).

Gap Between Current Versus Future State: Current and Desired Competencies and Habits

In order to achieve a match between values and passion, it is important to become aware of one’s current habits and competencies as a first step in changing/adapting (cf., Schippers et al., 2014 ). Being aware of the habits you would like to change is important in promoting positive behavioral change ( Holland et al., 2006 ; Graybiel and Smith, 2014 ). Since most of our daily behavior is habitual, and this is usually functional in that it allows us to perform many tasks with minimum cognitive effort, but this same mechanism also makes habits hard to break ( Jager, 2003 ). Being aware of our habits and reflecting on them can be a first step in breaking them ( Schippers and Hogenes, 2011 ; Schippers et al., 2014 ); implementation intentions (i.e., if-then plans: “If situation Y is encountered, then I will initiate goal-directed behavior X!”) have also been shown to help in breaking old habits and forming new ones ( Holland et al., 2006 ). Many people have habits they would like to change (relating, for example, to eating behaviors, physical health, or substance use). However, it has been shown that the effect of good intentions such as New Year’s resolutions is very minimal ( Marlatt and Kaplan, 1972 ; Pope et al., 2014 ) and that it is the extent to which people have self-concordant goals, coupled with implementation intentions, that leads to successful changes in behavior ( Mischel, 1996 ; Koestner et al., 2002 ). Self-concordant goals are personal goals that are pursued out of intrinsic interest and are also congruent with people’s identity. Research has shown that if people pursue goals because they align with their own values and interests, rather than because others urge them to pursue them, they typically exhibit greater well-being ( Sheldon and Houser-Marko, 2001 ). This was shown to be true across many cultures ( Sheldon et al., 2004 ). In a life-crafting intervention, questions on this area could be similar to those listed in section 2 of Table 1 .

Present and Future Social Life

Research shows that people with a strong social network live longer and are healthier and happier ( Demir et al., 2015 ; Haslam et al., 2016 ). This network does not necessarily have to be very big, and it seems that, as one grows older, the quality of the relationships in this network becomes more important than the quantity ( Carmichael et al., 2015 ). Recent research places more emphasis on the quality of relationships, specifically showing that quality in terms of the social and emotional dimensions of relationships is related to mental well-being ( Hyland et al., 2019 ). The quality of the network has also been shown to be helpful during a transition to college ( Pittman and Richmond, 2008 ). Although at first sight it may seem odd to think about what kind of acquaintances and friends one would like to have, it may pay off to think about this carefully. Certain kinds of relationships, so called high-maintenance relationships, require a lot of time and energy ( Schippers and Hogenes, 2011 ; Fedigan, 2017 ) and often are characterized by negative interactions that can even influence self-regulation ( Finkel et al., 2006 ). It seems important that in general people seek out interaction with others who are supportive and from which they receive energy rather than those that cost energy. In a life-crafting intervention, questions on this area could be similar to those listed in section 3 of Table 1 . Practical questions in the intervention in this respect could be: think about your current friends and acquaintances. What kind of relationships energize you? What kind of relationships require energy? Why is that? What kind of friends and acquaintances do you need? What kind of friends and acquaintances would you like to have in the future? What does your ideal family life and broader social life look like?

Future Life: Career

Work is an important part of life. For many it is important to have a job that suits them, and a job which they feel passionate about and from which they can get energy (see Werner et al., 2016 ; Downes et al., 2017 ). However, research on mental illness prevails the literature in occupational health psychology, despite a call for a shift toward more research into positive psychology as antipode for work-related health problems such as job burnout. Especially in times where employees are required to be proactive and responsible for their own professional development, and to commit to high quality performance standards, it is important to think about activities that energize people and make them feel engaged with their work ( Bakker et al., 2008 ; Schippers and Hogenes, 2011 ). Relatedly, research on job crafting shows that people can actively enhance the personal meaning of their work and make it more enjoyable by changing cognitive, task, or relational aspects to shape interactions and relationships with others at work ( Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001 ). Consequently, it is not always the job itself but the meaning you give to it that is important ( Demerouti et al., 2015 ). It is also important to think about when and where you do each particular task, in order to manage your daily energy ( Wessels et al., 2019 ).

It should be noted, however, that it is also important to see work in relation to other areas of life. Christensen (2010) noted that many of his contemporaries ended up working 70-h working weeks and also were often divorced and estranged from their children over time. They could not imagine that this end result was a deliberate choice, so it seems important to choose the kind of person you want to become not only in your career but also in other areas of life ( Christensen, 2010 ). This also means making strategic decisions about how to allocate your time and energy, instead of letting daily hassles make these decisions for you ( Christensen, 2017 ). In a life-crafting intervention, participants could be asked to think about what they would ideally like to do in their job, and what kinds of people they might be working with, either directly or indirectly. They could be asked to reflect on their education and their career, and to consider what they feel to be important in a job and what their ideal colleagues would be like. The questions would thus be similar in nature to those shown in section 4 of Table 1 .

Of course, some people choose a job that they do not necessarily like a lot but then make sure their leisure time is filled with meaningful activities ( Berg et al., 2010 ), and leisure crafting has been shown to make up to a certain extent for having few opportunities for job crafting. So weighing up the balance between work life and leisure activities and making conscious decisions in this respect seems very important.

Key Element: Ideal Future Versus Future If You Do Not Take Action

As people are able to think about and fantasize a future ( Oettingen et al., 2018 ), it is key that the future they envisage is one that is attractive to them. Likewise it is vital they formulate plans of how to achieve their desired future (implementation intentions) and contrast this in their minds with an undesired future ( Oettingen and Gollwitzer, 2010 ; Oettingen et al., 2013 ). In a university context, and more generally in order to stay engaged, it is important that people choose goals that are self-concordant. It has been shown that if people formulate such goals implicitly by visualizing their best possible self, this can be very powerful and has a stronger effect on well-being than exercises such as gratitude letters ( Sheldon and Lyubomirsky, 2006 ). Other research has shown that writing about the best possible self in three domains—personal, relational, and professional—leads to increased optimism ( Meevissen et al., 2011 ). A meta-analysis showed that best possible self was a particularly powerful intervention in terms of enhancing optimism ( Malouff and Schutte, 2017 ). If this optimism is also turned into concrete plans for the future, there is an increased chance that this positive envisioned future will become a reality (cf., Schippers et al., 2015 ).

Based on the theorizing above, it should be stressed that in the intervention students formulate goals that they find important, not ones that others (parents, peers, or friends) find important or that are pursued solely for reasons of status. In the instructions in the intervention, the students are advised to choose goals that they think are important and want to pursue and not to choose goals that others (parents, peers, and friends) think are important. Otherwise, they will live someone else’s life. In order to make sure that they do not choose goals that will be detrimental to themselves or others, they are also advised to not describe an ideal life that includes harming themselves or others.

Additionally, it is also important that people imagine the future they are likely to face if they do not do anything . This represents a goal-framing effect, or the finding that people are more likely to take action when they are confronted with the possible consequences of not doing so ( Tversky and Kahneman, 1981 ). It might be useful to ask participants to visualize both a desirable and an undesirable future and to get them to contrast the two (see Oettingen, 2012 ; Brodersen and Oettingen, 2017 ). This would be a form of “metacognitive self-regulatory strategy of goal pursuit” ( Duckworth et al., 2013 , p. 745; cf. Schippers et al., 2013 ; see also Schippers et al., 2015 ). Other research has shown that positive “deliberate mental time travel” (or MTT) was related to a significant increase in happiness but not when the MTT was negative or neutral. However, neutral MTT was related to a reduction in stress ( Quoidbach et al., 2009 ). In the intervention (see also Table 1 , section 5), participants are asked what their future would look like if they did not change anything. What would their life look like 5–10 years down the road?

Goal Attainment Plans

After finishing the elements as described above, it is important for intervention participants to formulate concrete goals and plans. In the meta-analysis undertaken by Koestner et al. (2002) , it was concluded that it is important for personal goal setting to be combined with if-then plans. Self-concordance—the feeling that people pursue goals because they fit with their own values and interests—and goal attainment plans are important for goal progress ( Locke and Schippers, 2018 ). Since the rewards that come from achieving a significant life goal are often attained in the future, it is important to formulate concrete goals and also to identify the small steps toward them (see Trope and Liberman, 2003 ). While the first part of the student intervention is aimed at discovering their passions and ideas about their ideal life, the second part is much more concrete and follows the steps set out in research on goal setting, SMART goals, and if-then plans ( Oettingen et al., 2013 , 2018 ). The idea is that by making concrete plans and identifying obstacles (if-then plans), people are better able to visualize their desired future and will be less tempted to engage in activities that distract them from their goal ( Mischel, 1996 ; Mischel and Ayduk, 2004 ).

In this part of the intervention, ideally any obstacles to the plans will also be identified. In addition to the research on mental contrasting, which generally indicates that one should visualize both the goal and the obstacles to it (e.g., Sevincer et al., 2017 ), it is important that one should also visualize a way of overcoming those obstacles. This may be a vital element, as research has shown that mental contrasting works best for people who are very confident about succeeding ( Sevincer et al., 2017 ). The elements are outlined in Table 1 , section 6. The idea is that, based on what participants write when describing their ideal future, they then identify a number of goals (usually about six to eight), which could be personal, career, and/or social goals (e.g., Morisano et al., 2010 ; Schippers et al., 2015 ; Locke and Schippers, 2018 ). As detailed implementation plans have been shown to aid progress toward goals ( Gollwitzer, 1996 ), it is vital for participants to set down a detailed strategy for how they will achieve their goals. This part of the intervention asks participants about their motivations for their goals and gets them to consider the personal and social impact of those goals. They should also be asked to identify potential obstacles and how to overcome them and monitor progress toward the goals they have set. Participants should be instructed to be specific and concrete—for instance, to write down things that they will do weekly or daily to further their goals ( Morisano et al., 2010 ; Schippers et al., 2015 ). It may also be useful to get participants to make a concrete plan of action for the upcoming week and to make them specify for each day the hours they will spend working on the goal they have in mind.

Public Commitment

In this part of the intervention, participants can either write down a number of goals and make them public (read them out to others) or have a photo taken to accompany a public (“I WILL…”) statement, as was the case in the RSM intervention (see the examples mentioned earlier). Prior research has found that public commitment can enhance goal attainment ( Hollenbeck et al., 1989 ). This part seems to be related to enhanced commitment to goals as a result of self-presentation ( Schienker et al., 1994 ). Shaun Tomson, a former surfing champion and inspirational speaker, invites audiences to come up with goals and 12 lines, all starting with: “I will…” These lines are spoken aloud in a group as a form of public commitment ( Tomson and Moser, 2013 ). This makes it more likely that people will be more self-regulating toward goal-attainment and will put more effort into reaching their goals, especially if they are highly committed to reaching this goal ( McCaul et al., 1987 ).

Formulating clear goals has been shown to contribute to student well-being and academic success ( Morisano et al., 2010 ; Schippers et al., 2015 , 2019 ; Locke and Schippers, 2018 ). However, this has been often neglected in education and work settings resulting in a lack of evidence based tools. The effects of goal setting on the well-being of students have hardly been tested. Recently, calls have been made for positive psychology interventions to be made part of the educational curriculum in order to teach students life skills and to combat the rising number of mental health problems such as depression (e.g., Clonan et al., 2004 ; Seligman et al., 2009 ; Schippers, 2017 ).

Informed by the theoretical frameworks of salutogenesis, embodied cognition, dynamic self-regulation, and goal-setting theory, in this paper, we outlined a life-crafting intervention in which participants complete a series of online writing exercises using expressive writing to shape their ideal future. Important elements of such an intervention that were covered are: (1) discovering values and passion, (2) reflecting on current and desired competencies and habits, (3) reflecting on present and future social life and (4) future career, (5) writing about the ideal future, (6) goal attainment plans, and finally (7) public commitment to goals.

The idea is to use the fantasized ideal future to deduce goals and formulate a strategy to reach these goals. Finally, participants commit to their intentions by having a photo taken to accompany their goal statement, which is then made public. We described the key elements of this intervention and outlined the theoretical rationale for each of these elements. As previous research has shown that developing life skills, such as being able to set goals and make plans to achieve them (i.e., goal setting), increases the resilience, well-being, and study success of students ( Schippers et al., 2015 , 2019 ; Locke and Schippers, 2018 ), it may be important to make this intervention available to a wider population.

Future Research and Developments

As research shows that students in higher education are increasingly experiencing psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, and burn-out ( Gilchrist, 2003 ; Snyder et al., 2016 ), an add-on to the goal-setting program as described above is recommended. Rapid developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), especially areas such as emotion recognition, natural language processing, and machine learning have great potential to aid students experiencing study-related mental health problems ( Kavakli et al., 2012 ; Oh et al., 2017 ). For example, a goal-setting exercise could be enhanced by incorporating a digital coach in the form of a goal-setting chatbot. With this type of intervention, students are given immediate, personalized feedback after their writing assignments. After two longer writing assignments, which are part of the curriculum, the chatbot can help students to by asking questions on specific topics ( Fulmer et al., 2018 ). For instance, through personalized questions and feedback the chatbot could stimulate students to regularly reflect on their progress toward reaching a certain goal (“Did I invest enough time into my goals? What could I do to improve this? Which smaller sub-goals could help me to achieve my objective? What obstacles do I face? What ways do I see to overcome them?”). Depending on the answers the chatbot could also provide the students with different strategies. In addition, the chatbot can remind students of their goals and objectives during the year.

The expectation is that this addition to the intervention will allow students to reflect better on their own goals, so that a positive effect on student well-being can be expected and more serious problems can be prevented. What is also innovative is that the chatbot can ask additional questions about the students’ well-being. This gives the chatbot an important role in identifying possible problems. For students who have no problems or whose problems are minor, setting goals and receiving online feedback and coaching will be sufficient. In cases of more severe problems, the chatbot can offer more intensive coaching, or can refer them to the university’s psychological support or other professional services if necessary. In summary, the chatbot could provide a better connection between goal setting and the needs of the individual student and could help to integrate the life-crafting intervention into early stages of students’ academic career and can also deliver mental health care for students. Moreover, it could help integrate the life-crafting intervention with interactional forms of mental health care provided by the chatbot, thereby possibly increasing its effectiveness. In addition, goal diaries might form a way to provide insights into whether students are able to achieve important goals. Such diaries could also be used to assess their level of happiness and well-being and might be easily integrated into the interaction with the chatbot.

Next to examining how promising the intervention is in terms of its effects on students, future research could look at the effects of the life-crafting intervention in organizations. Prior research has shown that the effects from positive psychology interventions in organizations are promising ( Meyers et al., 2012 ). The relationship between different areas of life and decision making with regard to how to spend one’s time seems to be key ( Menzies, 2005 ; Schippers and Hogenes, 2011 ). Researchers could also examine what role life crafting might play at the team level.

Despite the obvious upside of experiencing meaning in life and having life goals as described in this paper, many people have difficulty choosing between the seemingly endless number of possibilities. The good news is that it is in principle never too late to find a purpose in life, although recent research suggests that it may be most beneficial to find a direction in life earlier rather than later (see Steger et al., 2009 ; Bundick, 2011 ; Hill and Turiano, 2014 ). It seems that interventions of the kind we have described above may be particularly helpful when one is entering into a new phase of life, such as when starting one’s study or just before entering the job market (see Kashdan and Steger, 2007 ).

The problem so far has been that most interventions are not easily taken to scale (for an exception see Schippers et al., 2015 ). Given the relatively low amount of costs and administrative work that the implementation of the outlined life crafting intervention entails, especially when compared to the potential benefits, we recommend its inclusion in student’s curriculums. Getting many (young) people to take part in an online life crafting intervention may be an important step in achieving not only higher academic performance, but also better well-being, happiness, health, and greater longevity (see Schippers et al., 2015 ). Using technology to assist with life crafting via a goal-setting intervention seems to be a particularly promising avenue as this is an approach that can be easily scaled up. Ideally then, these scalable and affordable interventions should not be regarded as an extra-curricular activity; it would be advisable to make them a formal part of the curriculum for all students. In a work context, employees could also benefit as this type of activity might be something that companies could easily offer. In short, life-crafting is about (1) finding out what you stand for (i.e., values and passions), (2) finding out how to make it happen (i.e., goal-attainment plans), and (3) telling someone about your plans (i.e., public commitment). Concluding, it seems that life crafting is about taking control of one’s life and finding purpose. Based on recent findings, it would be well-advised for many of us to carve out time to do an evidence-based life-crafting intervention.

Author Contributions

MS has written the draft of the manuscript. NZ provided important intellectual input at all stages and helped to develop, review, and revise the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the members of the Erasmus Centre for Study and Career Success ( https://www.erim.eur.nl/erasmus-centre-for-study-and-career-success/ ) and Christina Wessels for their useful comments on an earlier version of this paper.

1 see https://www.rsm.nl/iwilleveryone/ .

A student, participating in the intervention, described its effect on him as follows (see also Singeling, 2017 ).

“I studied, or at least I attempted to study, a lot of different things before I came here. But usually I stopped halfway through. And then I ended up here and I liked the courses well enough, but once again it was completely unplanned. I came here because, well, it was expected of me to finish some kind of university course.

When I got here, and all the “I WILL” stuff [life crafting/goal setting] happened, I thought it was a complete and utter joke. I thought: who needs this kind of stuff? Between the second and the third [trimester], so towards the end of the second really, I started to realize that: you know those silly goals I put down? I’m actually close to completing some of those. That got me inspired to apply for the position of mentor for the BA business skills course. And in the third year, for my minor, I took a teaching class. A few of my students who started off basically slacking through everything, they are taking their assignments more seriously. Instead of doing everything the evening beforehand, they are dedicating a week beforehand. It’s tiny steps, but they are tiny steps that would not have happened without the goal setting.

Quite simply, I’m proud of the things that I have been doing, such as teaching, and I’m proud that it came through goal setting. It’s why in the end I have changed my I WILL statement: “I will help the next generation to be better.”

From this extract, it can be seen that the intervention seemed to inspire the student to be clearer about his goals, to dedicate time to them, and also to use them to help other students. Furthermore, it serves to illustrate the concept of an upward spiral ( Sheldon and Houser-Marko, 2001 ; Sekerka et al., 2012 ), where trough tiny steps (starting to study for an exam earlier) goals are attained.

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Food is one of the basic necessities of life. Food contains nutrients—substances essential for the growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissues and for the regulation of vital processes.

Biology, Ecology, Geography, Anthropology

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Food  is one of the basic necessities of life. Food contains  nutrients —substances  essential  for the growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissues and for the regulation of vital processes . Nutrients provide the  energy  our bodies need to function. The energy in food is measured in units called  calories . Age, sex, weight, height, and level of activity determine the number of calories a person needs each day. Depending on age, sex, and activity level, the recommended daily caloric intake for a child aged 11 to 14 can range anywhere from 1,600 to 2,600 calories per day, with sedentary girls needing the fewest calories and active boys needing the most. For adults, this can range from 1,800 to about 3,000. Kinds of Nutrients Scientists divide nutrients into six major groups: carbohydrates , fats , proteins , minerals , vitamins , and water. Most foods contain all or most nutrient groups, in different amounts. Carbohydrates provide energy for the body. Nearly all the carbohydrates we eat come from plants. They include  starches found in cereal   grains and plants like potatoes and yams.  Sugars , found in fruits , vegetables , and milk , are also carbohydrates . Sugarcane and sugar beets are grown specifically for their high sugar content. Many of the starches and sugars we eat have been processed into products, such as  flour  and  corn syrup . These processed carbohydrates are used in cookies, cakes, breads, pastas, and pies. Fats provide more than twice as much energy as carbohydrates . They also help p rotect and insulate the body and its  internal organs . Common fats include  vegetable oils , such as soybean, cotton seed , and corn oil. They are used in cooking and in the processing of many foods . Fats that come from animal products include butter and  lard . Eggs, milk , cheese, meats ,  poultry , and fish also contain high levels of fats . P roteins are the body’s chief  tissue -builders. They help keep skin, bones, muscles, and blood healthy. P roteins also help regulate bodily processes , including transporting  oxygen  and nutrients into and out of cells ; the  clotting of blood; and the formation of antibodies, which help fight  disease . Animal products, such as beef, fish, poultry , eggs, and dairy products, are high in p rotein . Grains , nuts, and some beans are also p rotein -rich foods . Minerals and  vitamins are called  micronutrients because they are needed in very small quantities compared with carbohydrates , fats , and p roteins (known as  macronutrients ). Minerals provide building materials for the body and help regulate its activities, much as p roteins do.  Calcium  and  phosphorus  build strong bones and teeth,  iron  contributes to healthy blood, and  iodine  helps keep the  thyroid gland working. Vitamins help the body make full use of other nutrients by assisting the chemical reactions that make those nutrients work. For example, vitamin B1, or  thiamine , helps regulate the release of energy from carbohydrates , promotes a healthy  appetite , and aids the functioning of the  nervous system .  Vitamin D  helps in the growth and maintenance of healthy bones. Other essentials for the body’s health include water, oxygen , and  fiber . Some scientists include water in the list of basic nutrients . Water makes up more than half of a human body’s weight. It is involved in most body processes , such as the regulation of temperature, the transporting of nutrients into  cells , and the elimination of waste products from cells . Oxygen is not a nutrient , since it is breathed in and not eaten, but it is essential to life. It permits the release of energy from food inside the body. Fiber is  indigestible  material found in most plant foods . It adds bulk to the diet , helping to keep the  intestines healthy. Fiber -rich foods include whole grains , dried beans, and fresh fruits and vegetables . A healthy diet contains a balanced mix of different foods that together provide all essential nutrients .  Malnutrition  is the lack of a balanced diet . Too few nutrients , too many nutrients , or an imbalance of nutrients (too many carbohydrates , for instance, and not enough fruits and vegetables ) can lead to mal nutrition . Under nutrition is a form of mal nutrition . It is usually linked to  hunger . Under nutrition happens when the body does not get enough food to meet its needs. Many diseases and even death are caused by lack of food . Death due to lack of food is called  starvation . To get the right amounts of nutrients , people need to select from a range of food types: cereal grains ; fruits and vegetables ;  legumes , meat , poultry , fish, and eggs; and milk and dairy products. A  food pyramid  outlines the suggested amount of these different types of foods people should eat each day. Cereal Grains Cereal grains are the  edible   seeds of certain grasses . People have grown them since the beginning of  agriculture . Today, the most commonly grown grains are wheat , rice , and corn ( maize ). Other important grains are  sorghum ,  millet , barley , oats , and rye . Worldwide, cereal grains are the most important   food staples . They are eaten almost daily by large populations. They supply a significant percentage of the calories consumed by the world’s population. Cereal grains and the products made from them provide food not only for people, but also for livestock , such as cattle , chickens, and hogs. Throughout the world, more  wheat  is planted than any other grain . Wheat is the chief ingredient in most breads, cookies, cakes, crackers, pastas, and some break fast cereals . China, the United States, Russia, Ukraine, India, France, and Canada are major wheat -producing countries. Wheat , often eaten as bread, serves as the principal food grain for people living in regions with  temperate   climates . Rice , an Asian tropical grass , is a food staple for more than half the world’s population. More than 90 percent of the world’s total rice crop is produced and eaten in South and East Asia. Rice is also a food staple for people in parts of Africa and Latin America. This cereal grain thrives in a warm ,  humid climate with heavy rainfall or wet ground. It is often grown in flooded fields called rice paddies. Hominy grits , corn bread, pop corn , and  tortillas are all made with  corn . Outside the United States, this grain is called maize . Although native to the Americas, maize is now  cultivated throughout most of the world and is a staple food in many areas. It grows in various  soils and  climates and at different  elevations . American farmers produce over 30 percent of the world’s corn ; of that 40 percent, most of it is used to feed  livestock . Corn is also used to produce sweeteners, such as corn syrup and  cornstarch . Sorghum and millet are other grains commonly used as livestock feeds. These grains are also staple foods for people in parts of Africa and Asia, where they are used in breads,  porridges , and cakes. Three other grains — barley ,  oats , and  rye —are important in many regions. Barley thrives in a wide range of climates . One type of barley is the source of  malt  for making  beer . Barley is also used in making  vinegar , malt extract, and beverages similar to milk . Pearl barley , the most popular form of this grain , is often used in soups and other foods . Oats and rye were domesticated much later than other grains . Oats are used mainly as livestock feed, but also go into oatmeal and other break fast cereals . After wheat , rye is the second most common grain used as a bread flour ; the two are often mixed together in breads. Bread made with rye alone, called  black bread , is popular in many European countries. Fruits and Vegetables The term “ fruit ” has several meanings. To a  botanist , it means the part of a plant that contains seeds . According to this definition, fruits include most nuts, as well as vegetables , such as cucumbers and tomatoes. To most of us, though, “ fruit ” is defined as the soft, edible , seed -bearing part of a  perennial  plant. A perennial is a plant that lives for more than one growing season. Fresh fruits are rich in carbohydrates , vitamins , minerals , and fiber . They can be preserved by freezing, canning, or drying. Different fruits grow in different climates , and may not grow well in climates that are too cold, hot, dry, or wet. Based on the kind of climate in which they grow, fruits can be classified in different groups: temperate fruits , subtropical fruits , and tropical fruits . Temperate fruits grow best where there is a well-defined cold season, as in the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. Temperate fruits include apples, berries, grapes, pears, plums, and peaches. Sub tropical   fruits thrive where temperatures are mostly warm year-round. The area around the Mediterranean Sea has a sub tropical climate .  Citrus   fruits , such as lemons, oranges, grape fruits , dates, pomegranates, and some types of avocadoes, are sub tropical fruits . Tropical fruits require a hot climate to grow. Tropical fruits , such as bananas, mangoes, and papayas, grow in hot, humid areas like the Philippines. Vegetables are the edible parts of  herbaceous plants . Herbaceous plants , sometimes just called  herbs , have  stems that are softer and less woody than those of trees and sh rubs . Vegetables are good sources of fiber , minerals , and vitamins . Most vegetables are  annuals , living for only one growing season. Vegetables can be  roots , leaves, stems , seeds , or  bulbs . For example, car rots , radishes, and beets are roots . Cabbage, celery, lettuce, and spinach are leaves or leafstalks . Heads of broccoli are flower stalks topped by thick clusters of flower buds. Asparagus is a stem . Cucumbers, eggplants, and tomatoes contain the seeds of the plant. Garlic, leeks, and onions are bulbs . Some plants, called  tubers , have a special type of underground stem that can be eaten fresh as a vegetable or used as an ingredient in other dishes. In temperate regions, the most important tuber is the potato. The potato was first a food staple to  indigenous   cultures of the Andes of South America. Today, major potato-growing countries include Russia, China, and Poland. Important tropical tubers include yams,  cassavas , and  taros . These tubers are staple foods in many cultures . For instance, taro is a major food crop of the islands of Polynesia, as well as West Africa. Cassava is a staple food for more than 500 million people in Africa and Latin America. Legumes, Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Eggs Legumes are plants that are raised for their edible seeds or seed pods. Peas, lima beans, soybeans, peanuts, and  lentils are all legumes . Legumes that are harvested for their dry seeds , such as beans or lentils , are called  pulses . Pulses are food staples in India and Pakistan. Legumes and pulses contain high amounts of p rotein . In addition, they supply iron , other minerals , and vitamins . The term “ meat ” usually refers to the edible flesh of  mammals , such as cattle , pigs, and sheep. Meat is a high- p rotein food and is rich in other nutrients , as well. The United States, Australia, Russia, and Argentina raise much of the world’s beef cattle . Beef can come from cows , bulls , or steers .  Cows are adult female cattle .  Bulls are adult male cattle capable of reproduction.  Steers are adult male cattle that have been  castrated , or been made incapable of reproduction. Meat from very young cattle , or calves, is called  veal . The world’s major hog producers include China, the European Union, the United States, Brazil, and Russia. Meat from hogs is called pork . Lamb is meat from sheep less than a year old. It is especially popular in the Middle East, Australia, and the United Kingdom.  Mutton , meat from mature sheep, has a stronger flavor and a rougher texture than lamb. New Zealand and Australia are the world’s largest exporters of lamb and mutton . Bison , water buffalo, camels, g oats , and yaks are all sources of meat . Wild animals, such as rabbits and deer, are also eaten as meat . Meat from wild animals is called  game . “ Poultry ” refers to domesticated birds that are raised for meat and eggs. Chickens are an important food source for most of the world’s population. Raising chickens is a major industry in many countries, including China, the United States, Russia, and across the European Union. Ducks, turkeys, geese, and  guinea fowl  are also raised for food in many parts of the world. Fish and  shellfish  are probably the most popular meats worldwide. Fish provide about 15 percent of all animal p roteins consumed by the world’s population. Fish and shellfish are ex cellent sources of vitamins and minerals . People eat fish raw or cooked, and preserve it by canning, freezing, drying, salting, smoking, or pickling. Most of the fish and shellfish people eat come from the ocean. Tuna is one of the most popular ocean fish. Other fish come from inland bodies of fresh water, such as lakes and rivers. Bass, perch, and carp are popular freshwater fish worldwide. An increasing amount of fish comes from fish farms, where fish and shellfish are raised commercially . The cultivation of fish and shellfish is called  aquaculture . Clams, oysters, crabs, and shrimp are popular types of shellfish . Abalone, a kind of  mollusk , is another type of seafood .  Conch , a large type of sea snail, is eaten in the Florida Keys and in the West Indies. Eels, octopuses, squids, and mussels are other popular sea foods . Eggs are a source of p roteins , fats , minerals , and vitamins . Boiled, fried, scrambled, or deviled, chicken eggs are popular around the world. They are also used in a variety of baked goods. People also eat the eggs of other birds, such as ducks and quail, and those of reptiles , such as turtles and crocodiles. The eggs of certain fish, mainly  sturgeon , are prepared as a  delicacy  known as  caviar . Milk and Dairy Products Much of the world’s milk , cream, butter ,  yogurt , and cheese come from  dairy   cows . However, g oats , camels, reindeer, sheep, yaks, and water buffalo supply milk products as well. In much of Asia, people have traditionally consumed “ milk ” made from soybeans.  Soy milk  is made from soaking and grinding soybeans with water. Soy milk contains about the same p rotein as cow ’s milk . Milk and dairy products supply p roteins , carbohydrates , fats , and essential vitamins and minerals . The  Maasai  people of East Africa use milk as a staple food , and it constitutes a huge part of their diet . Yogurt , a  fermented milk product, is a staple food in parts of the Middle East and India. Diet People’s  diets vary from one country to another. Diets can also vary within a single country.  Geographic  differences explain part of this variation. For example, people who live near the ocean might eat greater amounts of fish than people who live farther inland. People living in cool regions with short growing seasons depend on crops that mature quickly, such as potatoes. In warm , wet lowlands where the soil retains water, rice is often a staple. Geographic factors are less important today than they were a century ago. Improved methods of agri culture and transportation , as well as increased  trade  and tourism , have made more types of food available to a wider variety of people. Improved methods of  food processing , preservation,  storage , and shipping allow many people to enjoy foods produced far from their homes. Spanish  olive oil , French cheeses, and  sardines from Norway, for example, are eaten as far away as Australia. Local traditions and customs play a role in determining what foods people eat and how they are prepared. English tradition encourages roast beef and  Yorkshire pudding , a type of bread, be eaten together. Many Asians serve rice with almost every meal. Economic  factors also affect what people eat. In the U.S. state of Maine,  lobster  is usually a relatively inexpensive food . The shellfish is native to the state’s coastal areas and has been a traditional food for hundreds of years. However, lobster is a  luxury  item in the Midwest, where it must be flown in. Lobster dishes served in Iowa may cost two to three times what they do in Maine. In developed countries, many people have enough money to buy a variety of nutritious foods . Mal nutrition is not a large problem, and people have a long lifespan. But even in these countries, there are many people who cannot buy these foods because resources are not evenly distributed throughout the population. In some places, healthy, nutritious food can be more expensive than so-called “ junk food ,” which has many calories but little nutritional benefit. Even those who can afford healthy food may eat poorly. The diets of many people in developed countries are too high in the fats , salt, and refined sugars found in junk food . These diets are too low in fruits , vegetables , and fiber . In developing countries, mal nutrition is more common. A poor  harvest ,  flood , or  drought  may cause  famine , because the community or nation is not economically able to import food . The diets of the urban and  rural  populations of developing countries are often quite different. People in urban areas eat more processed foods , while people who live in rural areas may have access to fresh milk , fruits , and vegetables . However, people living in rural areas are the first to be affected by a poor harvest . Food and Culture People do not eat only to obtain nutrients and ward off hunger and starvation . People’s eating habits are strongly influenced by culture .  Rituals around preparing, sharing, and consuming food serve social roles as well as biological ones. Religion  sometimes plays a role in what, and when, people eat. Followers of the  Jain   religion , for example, strongly believe in nonviolence to ward all living things. Strict Jains never eat meat . Many Jains also refrain from eating potatoes and other tubers because many small organisms are harmed as the tubers are pulled from the earth. Jewish kashrut  law and Muslim dhabihah  law outline many rules for eating. Both include a ban on pork . Food that is prepared according to kashrut law is called  kosher , while food that is prepared according to dhabihah law is called  halal . During the month of  Ramadan ,  Muslims   fast , or avoid eating, during daylight hours. Typically, Muslims will eat one meal before dawn and one after sunset, but nothing at all while the sun is shining. Ramadan is considered a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Feasting is also an important ritual , both for religious and nonreligious reasons. Most religious fasting periods, such as Ramadan , are followed by  holiday   feasts .  Eid al-Fitr  is the Islamic holiday following Ramadan . One of the ways Muslims celebrate Eid is to donate food to the poor. Nonreligious holidays often include feasts as well. In the United States, people gather to eat turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. In China, families celebrate the Chinese New Year with foods that symbolize luck and prosperity, such as long noodles, chickens, fish, oysters, dumplings, tangerines, oranges, and sticky rice cakes. Many people make dietary choices based on  ethics —beliefs about what is right and wrong. For instance, some people choose not to eat meat out of concern for the env ironment . Livestock is one of the leading contributors to  carbon emissions , and some people reduce the amount of beef they eat to reduce their “ carbon footprint .” Many people avoid eating meat out of concern for animal  welfare . Vegetarians avoid eating all meat and fish.  Vegans avoid all animal products, including eggs, milk , cheese, and honey. Some people who are not vegetarians may raise or buy  humanely produced animal products such as  free-range  chicken and  grass-fed beef . Other ethics -based food practices include choosing  organic  or locally grown foods . People who choose organic foods may do so because of the reduced number of chemicals in the food . Organic food relies little on  genetic modification  or  pesticides . Organic food also releases fewer chemicals into the env ironment in the form of  runoff . The “ locavore ” movement values the reduced env ironmental impact of local foods . There are fewer transportation costs, such as  greenhouse gas  emissions, with local foods . The way we serve and eat food is as culturally important as what foods we consume. In East Asian countries, most people use  chopsticks  to pick up their food . In Europe and the Americas, a variety of  utensils serve different purposes. A full, formal place setting can include a salad fork, dinner fork, dessert fork, teaspoon, soup spoon, butter knife, and dinner knife. In other countries, such as India and Ethiopia, many foods are picked up with pieces of flat bread rather than utensils . Table  manners  vary widely from culture to culture . Manners include rules about how and where people should sit, when to begin eating, which utensils to use in certain situations and with which hand, and what behaviors might be considered rude. In East Asian countries, it is considered rude to point at people with your chopsticks , or to rest your chopsticks standing upright in your rice . In Malaysia, eating with your left hand is considered unclean. In Japan, it is acceptable and even encouraged to make slurping noises while eating hot noodles, but not while eating soup. In Russia, it is considered polite to leave a bit of food after eating, but in Brazil, people are expected to eat everything on their plates. Cuisine Food and food preparation associated with a specific region are known as that region’s  cuisine . Cuisine can be national, such as the fresh fish and noodles associated with Japanese food . Cuisine can also be regional or local.  California cuisine , for instance, is known for mixing different types of national cuisines , such as French and Chinese. A food ’s adaptability to a specific region can define that region. Maize , native to North and Central America, is considered one of Mexico’s greatest “national treasures.” An image of  Xochipilli , the  Aztec  god of maize , appears on Mexico's 100- peso bill. Most cuisines feature staple foods of the region. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, boiled cassava root is a staple food . The large leaves of the cassava and a fiery pepper sauce called pili-pili are often part of a traditional Congolese meal. Fresh-picked bananas, papayas, and pineapples are frequently eaten. Animal p roteins from poultry , fish, and crocodiles are also popular foods in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Climate can also impact the cuisine of a region. Much of Russia faces cold winters, so few crops grow there. Warm soups are a large part of Russian cuisine .  Borscht , or beet soup, is probably the most familiar Russian soup. Beets are vegetables that are capable of growing in the cold, hard ground. Grains that grow well in cold climates are also popular in Russian cuisine .  Kasha , for example, is cooked grains , such as  buckwheat , barley , or  semolina .  Blini , or buck wheat pancakes, are served with caviar , smoked fish, butter , and sour cream. Pickles , cucumbers, and onions are widely eaten. Since Japan is surrounded by the ocean, fish is a  mainstay  of Japanese cuisine . It is prepared in a variety of ways.  Sashimi , for example, is raw fish dipped in seasoned  soy sauce .  Tempura  is prawns or slices of fish and vegetables dipped in batter and fried. Most sushi  is made from flavored rice covered with slices of raw or cooked fish and vegetables . Even non-native foods can define a region. Potatoes were introduced to Ireland in the early 17th century , probably by the explorer Sir  Walter Raleigh , who brought the tubers home with him after exploring the Americas. Potatoes, especially the “ lumper ” variety, grow well in cold climates and rocky soil . Within 200 years, the population of Ireland was dependent on lumpers for most of their carbohydrates . A potato disease , or  blight , struck Ireland in the mid-19th century , causing the so-called  Irish Potato Famine . More than a million Irish people died of mal nutrition , and a million more were forced to  immigrate . Often, cuisine reflects a country or region’s history.  Pho , for instance, is a Vietnamese noodle soup made with large chunks of meat , vegetables , and spices, such as basil. Vietnam was a French  colony  from the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century . French colonists brought French cuisine with them, including the stew called  pot au feu . Pho is an adaptation of pot au feu , with the most significant addition being rice noodles, which are native to Southeast Asia. “ Pho ” even sounds like “feu.” The growing number of immigrants in many cities has broadened people’s tastes in food . Many foods associated with national cuisines are inventions of immigrants.  Chicken tikka masala , for example, is one of the most popular “Indian” dishes in the world. Chicken tikka masala was invented by an immigrant Pakistani  chef  in Glasgow, Scotland. Often, immigrants will adapt their traditional diet with foods not available in their homeland. Chinese-American food , for instance, often features tomatoes and potatoes, foods that are not native to Asia. Cuisine varies widely, even within a specific region and a specific food . In the  Carolinas  region of the United States, for example, there are more than a dozen types of traditional barbecue. In this region, pork is the most familiar barbecued meat , although chicken and beef are also barbecued. Some barbecues feature a mustard-based sauce, while others feature tomato, vinegar , or molasses . Still other traditional barbecues are “dry,” and feature spice-based  rubs instead of sauce. World Food Supply Feeding the world population requires a massive supply of food . Since the late 1940s, grain supplies have  fluctuated , but worldwide there has been a  surplus , or more than enough food to feed everyone. Yet millions go hungry. Of the over seven billion people on Earth, more than one billion are  undernourished , according to the United Nations  Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) . Each year, poor nutrition plays a role in about half of deaths of children under five years old. Why do so many people  starve  when the world produces enough food to feed everyone? One reason is that resources, such as farmland and money, are not evenly distributed among the world’s people. Many developed countries have millions of acres of  fertile  land. This huge agricultural economy allows nations like Canada, the United States, and Australia to have a strong food supply for  consumption  as well as  export of grain , livestock , and produce. Most hunger is not the result of a lack of fertile land, however. Most hunger is the result of  poverty . Many people in developing countries are too poor to grow or buy the food they need. Crisis  situations contribute to hunger and starvation . Severe droughts , floods , and other  natural disasters can create famines . In many developing counties, especially in sub-Saharan Africa , the population is growing faster than the rate of food production. In some countries, years of continuous  war  have severely disrupted food production. During conflicts, millions of people flee their homes, often leaving crops to  rot  in the fields. The region’s uncertainty and fear mean fewer crops are planted and cultivated . Food Aid These natural and manmade crises can lead millions of people to become dependent on international  food aid . Food aid , usually in the form of grain and other starches , is distributed to either the government or local communities. Food aid can also mean money for people or governments to buy their own food . Food aid is  controversial , for both recipients and donors . Some receiving countries are not allowed as much independence as they would like. Sometimes, food aid comes with  restrictions or rules that might have little to do with food . The governments of countries donating food may disagree with the politics or decisions of the country receiving the food aid . Food aid may be reduced if the donating country disagrees with the receiving country’s politics , such as  nuclear weapons development. Scientists debate the relationship between economic security and  food security . Food security is the access a person, family, or community has to healthy foods . Growing food to export may increase a nation’s food security if the exports bring in more money to buy food imported from elsewhere in the country or abroad. However, access to food may be reduced, and the nation may become dependent on foreign food sources. To help solve the problem of hunger and increase local food production, farmers in many developing countries need economic assistance in acquiring new  agricultural technology , such as tractors . Small-scale farmers may also benefit from healthy  draft animals , such as water buffalo or oxen, which are used to operate  machinery , such as plows . Agricultural technology also includes improved varieties of seeds . Seeds may withstand longer periods of drought or flood , or they may resist disease . Better transportation , communications sy stems , and storage facilities can help improve food distribution.

Foodies Foodies are people who are fascinated by food, food preparation, the food industry, and the culture surrounding food. Unlike professional chefs, cooks, or farmers, foodies do not usually have an economic interest in food. For foodies, food is a hobby.

Deadly Dish Fugu is a Japanese delicacy made from the meat of the pufferfish. The fish contains a deadly poison called tetrodotoxin. If fugu is prepared incorrectly, it can kill the people who eat it. So chefs need a special license to prepare the dish. In recent times, scientists have bred non-toxic pufferfish for fugu, so perhaps this fish will lose its risky reputation.

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Human Needs: Beyond Survival to a Fulfilling Life

Patricia Morgan Personal Resilience everyday resilience , mental health , self-care 0

But many of us are not aware of what is missing, nor what is creating our life dissatisfaction. We can get stuck in states of anxiety or depression or living with other mental health issues.

Neglecting our human needs can lead to psychological and stress-related problems, and perhaps illness.  Meeting or not meeting our needs affect the essence of our humanity – our emotional, mental, social, and life-purpose needs. When we can name a problem, we can solve the problem. When we identify our human needs, we can then take steps to improve our well-being.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

It was in 1943 that Abraham Maslow proposed A Theory of Human Motivation. For decades, The Maslow Hierarchy of Needs framework has been in use in personal development, psychology, sociology, social work, health care and education courses. You may recognize the pyramid diagram which categorizes basic needs, psychological needs and then self-fulfilment needs.

Physiological needs provide the ground level of well-being. Indeed, the theory proposes we cannot move up the pyramid until the lower needs are met. It makes sense that if our body is malnourished, we will not focus on feeling safe. We will risk getting a loaf of bread (think Les Miserables) to survive. Likewise, if we do not feel safe in our surroundings, we are more apt to flee than try to connect with others to satisfy a need to belong. Then come esteem needs and then self-actualization as the highest evolved need.

Other theorists, researchers, and even personal development guru, Tony Robbins have developed alternate human needs lists. It was when I began studying the work of UK Uncommon Knowledge hypnosis trainers, Mark Tyrrell and Roger Elliott, that I was introduced to a list called, Primal Human Needs.

7 Basic Human Needs

Here I have modified some of these lists, but the basic philosophy of human needs is intact.

• Score each need from 0 (Unfulfilled) to 10 (Totally Satisfied)
• For any score under 7, determine what you can do to satisfy that need.

1.   The Need to Attend to the Body

As mentioned, we have a basic and primal need to survive. Take care of your body. It is your life vessel, the container of everything that is you. The fitness industry makes millions of dollars telling us how to:

• Get at least 7 hours of sleep daily.
• It doesn’t matter whether you take a walk or climb a mountain.
• Eat sensibly with ample nutritional value.

2. The Need for Safety and Security

Our autonomic nervous system has an alarm signal for danger called the amygdala. Our amygdala can be triggered into the fight, flee or collapse response when we have challenges with finances, health, or relationships. Consider those who live with domestic violence, or are first responders, or go to war. The level of pressure on these people can easily affect their mental health.

Regrettably, our thoughts can trigger cues of danger as easily as a bear chasing us. Many of us live with unresolved distress. We were traumatized. Consequently, most of us need not only physical, but emotional safety in our environment.

We need to live in a stable environment that supports our ability to spend some time, if not most of our time, in a calm, grounded, centered state.

• Record the times your amygdala fires and you defend, argue, leave the room, shut down, or give up. What took away your sense of safety? Was it a thought (E.g. “I’m stupid”), something you saw ( a snake) or something someone said (“F*ck you!”) or did (Cut you off in traffic).  These are your cues of emotional danger.
• If you listed external triggers, think about how you can minimize time in those places with those people or circumstances.
• If you listed internal triggers such as negative self-talk, journal those thoughts, share them with your confidante, take a personal development program or arrange several counselling sessions.
• Please, if you suspect you live with trauma, see a trauma informed therapist.
• Another strategy is to build your sense of security by becoming more physically fit or take a course to enhance your skills and knowledge.

3. The Need to Give and Receive Attention

In 2018 the World Health Organization announced, “Loneliness is the new pandemic!”  Isolation or lack of social contact can affect our emotional, mental, and behavioral patterns. Research indicates that connection to others is the best anti-dote for depression. We need one another, and for more than just our romantic other.

• Ensure you connect with other people at least twice a week.
• Do not exceed speaking for more than your 50% allotment.

4. The Need for Community and Meaningful Contribution

Our circle of life can become too small and too personal, narrowing our experience of a vast world. We need experiences with a larger reality than our household activities. Volunteering is one way to expand our existence. Research has resulted in the term volunteer high because it was found that people feel better after they do an act of altruism. Tyrrell wrote, “This basic need gives us a reason for being, over and above our own personal needs, that has been shown to benefit the immune system, mental health, and happiness.”

• Join one or more social, service, study, hobby, or faith groups.
• Notice what stirs your heart about a societal problem. If seeing homeless people bothers you, find some way to make a difference. Find your cause!

5. The Need for Challenge and Creativity

You’ve heard “Use it or lose it.” That is true for using all our bodies’ muscles including our brains. Lifelong learning can reduce the risk of developing dementia. We are wise to allow our curiosity to move us to explore, experiment, make mistakes, learn, and grow new neurons. Boredom can dim our lights, so challenge yourself, and brighten your outlook.

• Recall what you enjoyed when you were a child. What kind of adventures did you take? What was fun when you were learning through play?
• Sign up for a class in something, anything. Even better, notice what you admire that someone else can do. You can learn to do that too!

6. The Need for a Confidante or Two

We all need at least one person with whom we can feel emotionally safe to share our thoughts, fears, problems, hopes, and dreams. Tyrrell wrote, “Some people are able to fulfil this need by talking to a loved pet, but most of us need a small circle of loving and supportive friends and/or family.”

• If you have an intimate partner, have rituals that allow time to cherish one another. Weekly, take Us Time. If that is not possible arrange something significant at least monthly. Build in daily love gestures such as a morning hug and a good-night kiss. Daily, physical embraces are good indicators of a robust love relationship.
• However, if you are single, have at least three friends or relatives to whom you can easily pour out your heart. Don’t get stuck thinking, “I am human and I need to be loved by a lover.” Let your circle love you up!
• If supportive family or friends live a distance, away pick up the phone or use Facetime or Zoom to connect.
• If you do not have emotionally safe people in your life, hire a therapist. You may need to learn what emotional safety feels like, and how to provide it to others before experiencing it in your own life.

7. The Need to Be Deserving or Important

Tyrell and Elliott refer to this human need as The Need for Status, but I prefer describing it as a sense of importance, knowing we matter. We all want to believe we are lovable, capable, and valuable. And we long to have this truth confirmed. I’ve never met anyone who does not benefit from being seen, heard, acknowledged and appreciated. We need one another to recognize our worthiness. Along the way, it is wise to remember we are all important, not superior, or inferior to anyone else.

• If you compare yourself to others, realize doing so is human nature, but it does little good. We can all find someone who is doing worse or better than ourselves. Do your best and know that is enough.
• Know your strengths, a combination of skill, knowledge, and talent. If you don’t know your strengths, take an inventory .
•  Give what you can. Use your strengths at home, work, and community.
• Assess the value you give others and the world. Consider all you do at home, work, and community. Consider what it would cost to pay someone to do those tasks. What would it cost to pay someone to prepare and serve all the meals? What about childcare costs, laundry, and cleaning cost?
• Do something today to make a difference to someone else. Now, that is making yourself important.

Be Flexible Meeting Your Needs

Consider how you can meet several needs in flexible and efficient ways. For example, inviting people for a meal can accomplish meeting the needs for nourishing food, being creative, and developing community.

Have a variety of ways to meet your needs so that when one source of fulfillment changes or collapses you have a buffer. For example, what happens if you only have one friend, who is your confidante and with whom you only going bowling? You put yourself at risk if that friend cuts off the relationship or life circumstances inhibit the two of you connecting. What if you can no longer physically go bowling. You lose physical activity, your safe bowling alley environment, your social life, and potentially your only friend and confidante.

Remember you not only have the right to meet your human needs, but you will also stay more mentally healthy by doing so.

Patricia Morgan

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• Eveleth, R. "There Are 37.2 Trillion Cells in Your Body." Smithsonian.com. October 24, 2013. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-are-372-trillion-cells-in-your-body-4941473/?no-ist .
• Koshland, D. E. "The Seven Pillars of Life." Science 295, no. 5563 (2002): 2215-216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1068489 .
• Mullen, L. "Defining Life: Q&A with Scientist Gerald Joyce." Space.com. August 1, 2013. http://www.space.com/22210-life-definition-gerald-joyce-interview.html .

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Basic Needs

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Acknowledgments

Thomas Pölzler’s work on this chapter was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (PE21001) and by the Austrian Science Fund (P33169).

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Pölzler, T. (2023). Basic Needs. In: Sellers, M., Kirste, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6730-0_1052-1

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Things we can’t live without: the list has grown in the past decade, things we can't live without: the list has grown in the past decade.

Some of these goods, such as home computers, are relatively recent information era innovations that have been rapidly transformed in the public’s eyes from luxury toward necessity.

But other items – such as microwave ovens, dishwashers, air conditioning for the home and car, and clothes dryers – have also made substantial leaps in the past decade even though they’ve been fixtures on the consumer landscape for far longer.

For example, the percentage of American adults who describe microwave ovens as a necessity rather than a luxury has more than doubled in the past decade, to 68%. Home air conditioning is now considered a necessity by seven-in-ten adults, up from half (51%) in 1996. And more than eight-in-ten (83%) now think of a clothes dryer as a necessity, up from six-in-ten (62%) who said the same a decade ago in a survey conducted by the Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard University.

The Pew survey asked the “Luxury or Necessity?” question about 14 different consumer products designed to help make everyday life more productive, more convenient, more comfortable, more efficient or more entertaining. It was conducted by telephone from October 18 through November 9, 2006 among a randomly-selected nationally-representative sample of 2,000 adults.

Survey respondents placed the 14 items on a very broad range along the “necessity” scale — with a high of 91% describing a car as a necessity and a low of 3% saying the same about an iPod.

The two most ubiquitous products of the information era – home computers and cell phones – are currently situated in the middle of the pack, with the public evenly divided about their status. Computers are deemed a necessity by 51% of the adult public, and cell phones by 49%.

But both of these products are making a swift climb up the necessity scale. A decade ago, just 26% of adults considered the home computer a necessity, and back in 1983, when computers were still a novelty, just 4% felt that way. Meantime, cell phones were still so exotic in 1996 that they weren’t even placed on the survey. The same holds for high-speed internet access; it didn’t exist as a consumer service in 1996, but it’s now considered a necessity by 29% of the adult public.

The old adage proclaims that “necessity is the mother of invention.” These findings serve as a reminder that the opposite is also true: invention is the mother of necessity. Throughout human history, from the wheel to the computer, previously unimaginable inventions have created their own demand, and eventually their own need. But you don’t have to take our word for it — just ask the American public.

For example, more than twice as many younger adults (ages 18 to 29) than older adults (65 and over) consider home computers and high-speed internet access a necessity. ( However, among those who use the internet, these age differences largely disappear .)

Also, more younger than older adults say that cell phones are a necessity.

On the other hand, more older adults than younger adults consider home and car air conditioning, dishwashers and clothes washers and dryers to be a necessity. The same holds for television sets and for cable or satellite television services; older adults are more prone to see these, too, as necessities.

Not so, however, for two of the more recent entertainment product innovations – flat screen, plasma or high definition televisions and iPods. Here, the “necessity” skew is in the direction of younger adults, even though only a relative few (8%) of 18 to 29 years olds view these goods as necessities. (At least for now.)

Finally, there are a couple of items – a car and a microwave – for which age makes little or no difference in these assessments.

The views of those in the middle age groups (ages 30 to 49 and 50 to 64) are similar to those of their youngers (ages 18 to 29) on some of the items and more like those of their elders (ages 65 and older) for others. But when it comes to age, the overall findings tend to confirm what the philosophers and poets have observed through the millennia — life unfolds in phases, each with its own menu of wants, desires and needs.

However, as public attitudes on these luxury-or-necessity questions have migrated toward “necessity” in the past decade, for most items these changes have taken place at a similar pace among all age groups. One exception, has to do with views about the television . An identical percentage of 18-to-29 year olds now as in 1996 (53%) describe the television as a necessity. But among those over age 65, somewhat more respondents now (73%) than in 1996 (65%) say the TV is a necessity.

When it comes to income levels, the story is different. Here, the pattern tends to play out in one direction only : the more income a person has, the more likely he or she is to view goods and gadgets as necessities rather than luxuries.

However, the degree of variance varies. For some items, it is fairly significant and for others it is minor or non-existent.

Income makes a big difference when it comes to three information era items – home computers, high-speed internet access and cell phones. It also has an effect on attitudes toward one old warhorse of a home appliance – the dishwasher; and on one creature comfort – the car air conditioner.

And it makes virtually no difference for a mixed bag of items, including home air conditioning, a microwave, and a battery of entertainment products, including a television, high definition television, satellite and cable TV services, and an iPod.

Overall, some 45% of adults with family incomes of $100,000 and above rate at least 10 of these 14 items as necessities, while just 15% of adults with incomes below $30,000 do the same. In short, the more money you have, the more things you need.

Other Demographic Correlations

When we analyzed the full battery of survey responses by a broad range of demographic traits – including gender, region, marriage and parenting status, race and ethnicity — we did not find any other characteristics that were as strong as age or income in predicting how people would respond. However, there are some other patterns worthy of note:

• Out in the country, a simpler life: Rural residents are less likely than those who live either in the city or the suburbs to view these 14 items as necessities. Of people living in rural areas, fully a third say just 0 to 5 of these items are necessities, compared with 23% of those in cities and 24% of those in suburbs. This difference holds even after controlling for income and internet use.
• Honey, it’s hot outside: More than eight-in-ten (84%) Sunbelt residents 1 think of home air conditioning as a necessity, compared with just 61% of those who live elsewhere in the country. There’s a similar but slightly smaller regional difference in views about car air conditioning – 69% of those in the Sunbelt say it’s a necessity, compared with 54% of everyone else.
• Men are slightly more inclined than women to view the two kitchen appliances on the list – microwave and dishwasher –as necessities. Women are slightly more inclined than men to see car air conditioning as a necessity. Other than that, there are no sizeable gender differences on this battery of questions.
• Differences by race and ethnicity are either modest or non-existent. However, the cell phone is an exception. Six-in-ten (59%) Hispanics consider them a necessity, compared with fewer than half of non-Hispanic whites (46%) and non-Hispanic blacks (47%). (According to the 2005 National Health Interview Survey, Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanics to live in cell-only households. The Pew survey, however, is based on a landline sample of households and does not include the cell-only population.)

Does Necessity Line up with Ownership?

Having something can sometimes be a proxy for needing something. But not always.

For example, a nearly identical percentage of the public owns a car (92%) and considers a car a necessity (91%). On the other hand, nearly everyone (98%) owns a television, but just 64% of adults consider it a necessity. Also, more than eight-in-ten (82%) have a satellite or cable television service, but just a third consider it a necessity.

Two items on the list – a clothes washer and dryer – are anomalies for a different reason. They’re the only ones for which the percentage of the public that considers them a necessity is greater (albeit only slightly) than the percentage of the public that owns them.

About this Survey

Results for this survey are based on telephone interviews conducted with a nationally representative sample of adults, ages 18 years and older, living in continental U.S. telephone households.

• Interviews conducted Oct. 18 – Nov. 9, 2006
• 2,000 interviews
• Margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for results based on the total sample at the 95% confidence level. The margin of sampling error is higher for results based on subgroups of respondents.

Survey interviews conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish.

Bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias in the findings of opinion polls.

Read the full report for more details.

• U.S. Census definition of sunbelt includes 9 counties in CA, 1 county in NV, and all of NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ. ↩

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Table of contents, what the data says about abortion in the u.s., 8 in 10 americans say religion is losing influence in public life, how people around the world view same-sex marriage, the pope is concerned about climate change. how do u.s. catholics feel about it, across u.s. religious groups, more see decline of marriage as negative than positive, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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IELTS Essay Question

Some people think that the most important things in life are free and cannot be bought. To what extent do you agree?

Tips for this IELTS Essay

• Please note that the wording of the essay is “important things” not “important services”. You need to pay close attention to the words used in the essay so that you don’t change the meaning.
• appreciation of nature
• Each of the above cannot be bought using money – they are available to rich and poor alike.
• This essay is not about WHY they are free. You need to be very clear what the aim of the question is. The question is “do you think the most important things are free or do you think the most important things are not free and must be bought.
• health care
• electricity
• these items must be bought using money. Rich people get better quality food, housing, education etc than poor people who sometimes can’t afford even the most basic human necessities.
• Now you have brainstormed your ideas. What is your opinion? Do you think the best things in life are free? Or do you think the best things in life are not free?
• Your opinion must be written clearly in the introduction and explained in the body paragraphs.
• The thesis statement should be one sentence that presents your position (your opinion).
• You can start this sentence with : In my opinion or I think or I believe or something similar that shows YOUR own personal opinion. Don’t start it with “this essay”.
• See a range of different introductions for this essay question: Model Introductions

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i want to ask about agree/ disagree type questiona.

Shall we write our whole essay only on the side we agree/disagree OR we should write both sides of our agreement to clear the arguments….like if i agree to school children should participate only in team games rather than on individual interest games, then i should write another side benefits of playing individual games also ?????

OR shall i complete the all paragraphs on providing benefits of playing in team????

This will boost the scores or reduce it….

Thnks in advance……..

Please look at the model introductions for this lesson which explains it all. The link is provided on the page above.

Hello Liz …. I got 7.5 overall in the ielts exam… i watched ur vidz and learnt from them … coaching classes costed a lot … but i prepared myself and got this score … thank you so much for the lessons … Keep up the good work ☺️😇

Well done !! Good score 🙂

Hi Liz, I believe that this is not opinion essay and hence we need cover only one part to whom we agree, as there is nothing in the question like “Discuss both sides”. Could you please let me know if my understanding is correct. Thanks

Discuss both sides and give your opinion = a discussion essay which contains both sides as well as an opinion To what extent do you agree? = an opinion essay without a discussion

So, above will be an opinion essay without a both side discssion?

That’s right. An opinion essay requires your opinion and only your opinion.

Thanks a lot Liz I got L7.5,R6.5,W7,S7.5..just using your blog but want paid up lessons for reading..how do I get in touch with you?

Well done!! Sorry I don’t have paid lessons for reading at the moment.

I appeared on 11th of November, 2017 and had the same Task 2.

I appeared on 11th August 2022 and got same question

I believe that the most important elements in life such as family, friends, happiness, and love are for free. While on the other hand, material things such as medicine, shelter, clothes, and education which are also considered as basic necessity cost something.

In my opinion, we are being gifted many things like life, health, family and love that are totally free and priceless. However there are many things in life which are important and we have to be bought as necessities such as, food, healthcare, education, transport and house.

Hi liz i am really appriate for your support I have a question pleas tell me. I have a sentence : if a female student is the best candidate for a place on a course ,it would be wrong to reject her in favor of a male student . Here we used would in second sentence why did they use would instead of will . Is it corret if we use will?

Because it is hypothetical.

Elizabeth’s thesis:

In my opinion, I agree that the things that are really significant throughout life, and often not valued enough, are free and cannot be acquired with money. This essay will try to support this statement.

In my opinion, all important things in life are not free, some of them like family,health,love etc are priceless but some basic needs like food, shelter, education etc are priceworthy and ought to be bought. .

In my opinion,there are some essential things of life susch as hapiness,health and love which we acquire at no cost while education,housing and health care which are also critical to life must be paid for.

Here is my version of the introduction.

It is thought by some that the most valued things in life come at no monetary cost. In my opinion, I agree as overall health, family and friends are very important to a person.

In this hectic world . Many people think that everything can be bought which is unfortunately not true, as the most important things in life are priceless like health or happiness for examples. Money will stand still when it comes to such important and vital things in life like that.

Hi liz, This essay says to what extent u agree? Does it mean u cant disagree with the statement?

Do you agree? Do you agree or disagree? To what extent do you agree? To what extent do you agree or disagree? = all the same essay = all the same instructions.

Dear Liz does it mean therefore that in any “agree/disagree” essay there has to be a separate body paragraph for the opposing viewpoint?

What opposing view point? The whole essay explains YOUR opinion.

I believe God has gifted us certain necessities in life such as nature,health,family and love;however, there are other important things that we need in life that has to be bought.

Hello Ma’am, Please check it and point if found any mistake. It is commonly though that most significant things in a life are costless and there is no need to spend money on that, while other side, people have to spend on it.I definitely go with the given sentence that most vital things which we got from god are free, which I will discuss in below.

I believe, there is no doubt that most essential things of life, such as family, love and health come with no cost which can never be acquired in exchange of money.

In my point of view, the most esential things in our normal life are free and natural. However, to achieve them, we need to afford the human necessities which are bought by using money.

In my opinion, The best things in life are free however the most important things needs hardwork and money to avail it.

In my perspective. I believe the best things in life are free however most important things needs hardwork in order to avail it.

Hi liz, Thanks for the guidance. I have a doubt in one topic : Some ppl choose career for salary . other choose career according to whether they enjoy the work.

Ok does enjoyment mean work satisfaction here? Or going by passion? I need to understand this to give relevant points supporting my views.

It is about job satisfaction or salary.

Thanks liz.

In my opinion, I totally agree that money would never be able to buy the most valuable things in life, namely family and health, which are not only for free, but also priceless.

I completely agree with this as some of the things gifted to human such as family and health are free but irreplaceable whenever lost, making them more important than other necessities of life which can eventually be attained although at a price.

With the gradual merging of capitalism and modern lifestyles, it is arguably difficult to name a single thing today not yet materialized. However, it is believed many valuable issues in the world are still definitely unbuyable. From a personal prospective, Despite its rareness, things such as true friendship can not be offered for sale. This will be analyzed by looking at why real friendship is heavier lasts longer compared to paid one

In my opinion, free things are essential for life, but the basic needs of life which have to buy, are also significantly important to live a healthy life.

In my opinion ,i think that the most essential things of life ought not to be free and should be bought with money.

Hi Liz, Below is what I wrote as background n theisis.

There is a school of thought that, the most essential and intrinsic things of everyday life cannot be purchased. In my opinion, there are many strong reasons for advocating tbe above fact, as now will be explained below.

Is above correct?

Hi Liz, Here is my answer, please correct me if I’m wrong.

People have different opinion on whether or not the most important things in life can be brought. There are some strong arguments against the idea that those most important things in life can be free, I still believe that there are certain things that people cannot buy.

Some people believe that there is a price for everything, whereas they can get anything they wanted through hard-working. In doing so, people can buy their dream house and have good meals if they deserved it, therefore people will live their life with passion.

By contrast, in my opinion, I believe that the most important things in life are invaluable. Because in people’s loves, there are important things that cannot be brought by using money, such as intimacy and love. It is impossible to buy a life-long relationship such as family or friendship, in other words, people do not pay their parents, siblings, or any of their loved ones for their cares.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that money has a certain importance in people’s lives, but I still belie that there are important things that money cannot buy.

Liz has told you to write only the thesis not the whole essay but nevertheless you fid a good job by comparing things you can buy with money and those which are priceless,cannot be bought by money.

Most people believe that there are some important things in our life which can not be bought through money such as family, friends and health, these are the priceless and gifted by good. I definitely agree with the statement mentioned.

Some people have the perception of most crucial things in the world are cost free and cannot be purchased. However, in my opinion I agree that they are free analyzing both the family and health aspect of life.

For this essay I mentioned Air & Water as the most important things in life and explained why aren’t they free anymore. Is this alright? Did I go off-topic?

Thesis statement for the argumentative essay. It is said and it is also a fact that certain non_materialistic things like natural beauty, health care, love and family are those blessings which have been granted to us free to enjoy our life and if they’re lost once can’t be bought at any cost.

In my opinion, I agree most of the important things in life are free but not all because there are still important things like food, shelter, clothing etc that we still have to work for.

Hi Liz, Here’s my opinion.

People have different opinion on whether or not the most important things in life can be brought. There are some strong arguments against the idea that those most important things in life should be free, I still believe that there are certain things that you cannot buy. Some people believe that there is a price for everything, whereas they can get anything they wanted through hard-working. In doing so, people can buy their dream house and have good meals if they deserved it, therefore people will live their life with passion. By contrast, in my opinion, I believe that the most important things in life are invaluable. Because there are important things which cannot be brought by using money in our life, such as intimacy and love. It is impossible to buy a life-long relationship like family or friendship, in the other words, people cannot have intimacy and love through money. People do not pay your parents, siblings, any of your loved ones for their cares. In conclusion, there is no doubt that there is a certain importance of money in people’s lives, but I believe that there are important things that money cannot buy.

It is argued by some that extremely important things in one’s life are free of charge and no amount of money can buy them. However, I am of the opinion that a number of things, which are crucial for survival such as education , food, clothing and shelter to name but a few, can only be obtained by means of money.

It is argued by some that extremely important things in one’s life are free of charge and no amount of money can buy them. However, I am of the opinion that a number of things, which are crucial for survival such as food, clothing and shelter to name but a few, must be bought.

Thesis statement: In my perspective, Love, family relations and air are most important among those which we freely enjoy and I also belive that everyone relishes it all the time in their life’s.

(Ideas: Love – Mother’s love is unconditional right from the time we are in her womb.

Family relations: Everyone tends to remember their family members such as mother, father, grand parents which are most important relations being enjoyed for free from being a toddler till last breath.

Air: One of the five essential elements which is completely free and the only means of living which cannot be substituted.

– All the ideas are to be elaborated with some real life scenarios / examples if possible.

This is what I would write. Liz, Please do correct me and let me know if any changes are to be made. (My goal for writing task is 7 min)

It is argued by some that it is not possible to purchase the most valuable things in life. While I agree that certain qualities such as happiness, love and health cannot be bought, in my opinion, the most basic human needs such as food, housing and education can only be obtained, using money.

I entirely agree that some non material thing which ca not be bought are free for us and we accesse them freely.

Hi Liz I’m José, In my case here at Canada, I took the IELTS the last Saturday. And the writing task 2 was kind the same with the question. “Some people buy products because they are good and suits to what they need, that’s why advertising is unnecessary” They want me to say some advantages and disvatanges of that topic and also the question “for what extent I was agree?” Before the day test I was watching one of your videos and you say that something about “what extent” means. I said that I wasn’t completely agree with that statement… I hope I could get what they really asked.

Thanks for your tips for IELTS, and when I get my results I will post them here.

Free and the things which can not be bought are considered to be the most precious things in life. In my opinion, I agree that free and priceless values, such as family, friends, love and belief, are the most significant in life. However, I also believe that a piece of bread could be more necessary in the capitalistic system.

In some people’s opinion major things in life cannot be obtained by money, but are available to everyone equally for free. I certainly agree to this view like family, time, health which are most valuable assets, are free.

Hi Liz!!!!you are the most prominent and sublime teacher I ever met!!!!your materials are much helpful for ielts students…those who are sharing their successful experiences!!!!!I truly appreciate them!!!!!!! God bless you all!!!!I am facing huge problem in writing but getting some help from your tips and very slowly doing well in writing!!!!

I got to write in task 2 if govt should spend money on top athletes or on sports for everyone do send solution.

it is commonly thought that the most fundamental issues in our life are costless and we can not buy it. In my opinion, I totally agree with this idea as our families and our health are free, and they are certainly invaluable things in our lives.

Hello Liz, Thesis statement: From my perspective, I believe that family, sincerity and humbleness are among the most valuable things in life and, fortunately, they are all free.

Some people think that things that are really valuable to us cannot be bought with money. I would like to agree to this statement. Few of these priceless things are real happiness, good Health and true Relationships. Let’s explore about each of these in detail see what makes it truly priceless yet so valuable.

Firstly, happiness is one important thing that cannot be bought with money. Happiness is ones state of mind, with a feeling of being loved and being secure. Happiness that come from riches and wealth is temporary and doesn’t last long.

Secondly, good health is something that one has to attain over a long period of time. In order to stay fit and healthy, one may have to invest in good food and lifestyle. But that alone does not ensure good health. Health is a state of complete physical, social and emotional well being. For example, an end stage cancer patient, when doctors say that nothing can be done, if he has good moral support from friends and family and people to keep him happy, it will definitely help him to a large extent.

Last but not the least, true friendships and relationships are the ones that stay with us through thick and thin. Such relationships cannot be bought with money. Friendships that come with wealth and riches and wealth are temporary and not true.

Hence I would like to conclude that true happiness, good health and real relationships are keys to life and these priceless things are valuable yet free. As people get richer and wealthier, they tend to miss out on these precious things and that makes their life miserable.

I have scored band 7 for the above essay! Thanks for the tips.

Well done 🙂 Good news 😉

Introduction: Few people argue that the most essential things in life are free of cost and cannot be acquired by other means. I partially agree with this school of thought, as I believe that there are other things which holds an equal importance.

Waiting for your feedback, Liz.

Some people think that things that are really valuable to us cannot be bought with money. I would like to agree to this statement. Few of these priceless things are real happiness, True love, good Health and Relationships. Let’s explore about each of these in detail see what makes it truly priceless yet so valuable.

Firstly, happiness is one important thing that cannot be bought with money. Happiness is ones state of mind, with a feeling of being loved and being secure…..

In my opinion, i agree to some extend that the most important things in life are free however there are a number of basis necessities of life which are not.

it was my husband question yesterday….in KSA

thanks a lot

It was my question on 11th Nov in Khi Pakistan. Really a tough statement to write on it.

In my point of view, the most significant things like family, health, happiness and appreciation of nature are available to every human being without spending a peny whereas less important substances like residence, health care, a luxurious transport are bought against price.

I just chose one side n agreed with the statement. N the things i mentioned were health, time, intellect/wisdom. I mentioned that these things are most valuable and cannot be bought. In body paragraphs i explained these things in each paragraph. I didn’t mentio the things that we can buy like food, housing, car, food etc did i attempt in the wrong direction?

I mentioned time, happiness and health as the most important things in life and can not be bought.

In my opinion, I believe that every person has some personal exclusive things which cannot buy or it cannot be measured by money rather it’s a matter of feelings.

Some argue that most valuable things in life cannot be purchased and come at free of cost.I completely agree with the statement…

plz tell this approach of balanced view is appropriate? In my opinion, I strongly believe that things like family, health, wisdom, love are free, however, their maintenance does require some amount of finance.

I have tried and written the entire essay. Please suggest in case of any correction / improvements needed:-

Although some people believe that the most significant things in life are free of cost, other people think that most precious things in life are purchased through paying the price. In my opinion, I believe that the most key things in life are free of charge.

On one hand, few people think that the vital things in life are free of charge and I agree as well. In another words, these precious things are available in abundance to rich as well as poor in the same manner. For example, family, love, nature, health, air, water etc. There is no charge on these significant things and all of these are available to us in our life irrespective of being rich or poor. Furthermore, we must thankful, appreciate and preserve the nature and surrounding available resources which provide us almost all of these things in our life without charging us.

On the other hand, some people think that the valuable things in life are purchased through money. In other words, the key things are only available to us if we spend good amount of money on them. For example, food, clothes, housing, higher education, well lifestyle, car etc. These vital things are the basic human necessities and cannot be available to us unless we pay the higher price on them.

In conclusion, while people may differ in their views I think that most of the precious things in life are free of cost and as a human being we must appreciate for the same.

Regards, Vimal

Well written

Hi Liz, Thank you for doing what you do. Here is my thesis statement for this essay.

It is thought by some people that the most essential things in life are priceless and cannot be gotten with money. In my opinion, I totally agree that the most essential things in life are equally accessible both to the rich and the poor. Is this a good thesis or not? Thanks for being there

Hello Liz That is great tips. What is wrong with starting thesis statement by “This essay will…”? Thank you very much.

It doesn’t express your OWN opinion.

Ohh…many thanks.

Ok, can I write it like this ” In this essay, I will explain why most important things are free” Thanks

Your thesis statement should actually provide your answer – introduce your answer in the introduction and give the support in the body paragraphs.

In my view, I believe that the things we value much in life such as love and happiness are given freely, hence, cannot be traded.

In my opinion, I strongly believe that the most paramount things are not charged by a human.

Great work Liz. I paid soo much attention to the task 2 especially on food,housing,clothes and cars. I should be expecting Band 8 as usual…lol I started my essay this way

It is believed most valuable things of life should be free and not to be purchased. I totally dis-agree with this notion. In my BP1 I wrote about “value”. When things are bought with our hard earned money, we not only value it, we appreciate and maintain it and I related this to Clothing. If clothes are free everyone will just wear them and dump them. BP2 I related it to Council flats in UK…lol some of these flats are not as clean as they should be and the reason is simply because they are offered by the government FREE. BP3 I related it to Cars, if cars are free how will it be fuel? If Cars are free will the parts will also be free? People who got donated Cars careless on maintaining them nor replace their parts ontime because they do not value what they got for free. I also talk about Quality. Quality on things got for free can NEVER be compared to those that were Purchased. In my conclusion, after a brief summary on why things of life should not be free including education,transportation and health care{even though i didn’t discuss them in my BPs}. I ended my essay with “Nothing is free in Life even for those that live in FREELAND”…lol sounds funny

I think the important things in life are naturally made to be free

In the current question do we need to discuss both the sides or any one on which we agree or disagree… I took the exam and had the same question. I disagreed with the opinion and largely talked on points mentioned under disagree point as above.. am I right in my approach

here’s my thesis statement.tnx in advance for the feedback. “I believed that the most important things in life are free and is available to rich and poor alike.”

I got the same essay and was slightly confused in the begning.

In my Opinion, The best things in life are free such as Healhy relationships and Teachings from elders.

I wrote about the Relationships with our love ones; How relationships are important in being mentally well being and how they cannot be bought from money, and Teachings from elderly people such as Discipline, Punctuality are available free to youngsters, how these things will play a pivotal role later in future life; in a postive manner.

I explained these points in details with examples and concluded with my opinion. What do you think about the content of this essay I wrote? I hope I wrote the essay well.

Many Thanks for wonderful lessons.

Hi, I received this question in ielts general test held on 11 November 2017. I mentioned love and air as two important things.

Some people have perception that best things in life are free namely family,health,love etc.But,others reckon that there are many things which are not free and those are very necessery in life like food,clothes.I disagree with former view and this essay will discuss reasons before forming conclusion.

In my opinion, I believe that the most precious things in life are free of cost.

In my opinion, I think the most vital things in life should be free to choose and people do not have to buy them.

Hi, I’ve noticed people here write: In my opinion, I think/agree/believe.. Is it really better than just: In my opinion the most vital… I don’t have much experience in writing and it sounds weird to me.

Like if we talk about honesty and freedom… As the most important things

I completely agree with this view those who hold this view. In my opinion, most important things are free that cannot be bought by money.

I completely agree with sentence that Time which is most valuable and priceless thing.

Thanks much!

Dear Liz, I have given neutral opinion on this topic stating that eventhough some necessary things of life are free such as family, friends but other important things like cars, bank balance need to be earn. After that I have given justifications on both views in each body paragraphs. And then conclusion. Is this is correct way?

Hi Liz, My question is can we give neutral opinion also on this?

It is thought by some people that most of the important things that are available in our are free, which means they involves no cost. In my opinion, I agree that friends, family and real life knowledge are free.

Hi Liz, Please correct me if I am wrong… Can I begin like below: Though many people feel that best things are not freely available yet I, personally believe, that best things in life can not be bought with money rather can be get freely with love and care. I can better eludicate my point of view as below. Begin next paragraph with real life examples…

In my opinion I believe that most important things of life are free,because love,good health and family are the most significant things of life you get for free.

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Poverty Essay

In this poverty essay, we had describe poverty, its effects & measures to control poverty.

Poverty is the condition of a person when he cannot fulfil his basic necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter.

Essay on Poverty 100 words:

Poverty is the condition of any person being very poor.

It is an extreme condition when a person feels a lack of essential commodities such as shelter, adequate food, clothing, medicines, etc. to continue life.

Some common causes of poverty are overgrowth, fatal and epidemic diseases, and natural disasters.

Low agricultural production, lack of employment, casteism, illiteracy, gender inequality, environmental problems in the country.

Changing trends of the economy in the country, lack of proper education, untouchability, limited or inadequate access to people’s own rights, political violence, organized crime, Corruption, lack of motivation, laziness, old social beliefs, etc.

Poverty in India can be reduced after effective solutions, but the individual efforts of all citizens are needed.

Poverty Essay 150 words:

We can define poverty as a lack of food, proper shelter, clothing, medicines, education and equal human rights.

Poverty forces a person to starve, without shelter, without clothing, education and proper rights.

There are various causes of poverty in the country, although there are solutions, due to lack of proper unity among Indian citizens to follow the solutions, poverty is getting worse day by day.

The spread of epidemic diseases is the cause of poverty in any country because poor people cannot take care of their health status.

Poverty makes people unable to go to the doctor, go to school, study, speak properly, eat three meals a day, dress in need, buy own house, get a proper salary for a job, etc.

A person can go towards illness due to drinking unclean water, living in dirty places and eating inappropriate food.

Poverty causes powerlessness and lack of freedom.

Essay on Poverty 200 words:

Poverty is like a slave situation when a person is unable to do anything he wishes, which change according to person, place and time.

It can be described in many ways that a person feels it or is living it.

Poverty is a condition that no one wants to live, but it has to be taken away due to custom, nature, natural disaster, or lack of proper education.

The person lives it, usually wants to escape.

It is an invisible problem that badly affects a person and his social life in many ways.

Poverty is a completely preventable problem, but there are many reasons that have persisted since the past.

Poverty causes a person to lack freedom, mental well-being, physical welfare and security.

It is very important for everyone to work together to remove poverty from the country and the world to bring about proper physical health, mental health, full literacy, home for all, and other essential things to lead a simple life.

Essay on Indian Poverty 250 words:

Poverty is a human condition that brings despair, grief and pain in human life.

Poverty is the lack of money and all that is necessary to live life properly.

Poverty makes a child unable to enter school in childhood and lives his childhood in an unhappy family.

Poverty is a shortage of few rupees for arranging two times daily bread and butter, buying textbooks for children, the grief of parents responsible for taking care of children, etc.

We can define poverty in many ways.

It is very common to see poverty in India because most of the people here cannot meet the basic needs of life.

A large percentage of the population here is illiterate, hungry and without homes and clothes.

This is the main reason for the poor Indian economy.

Almost half of the population in India is living a miserable life due to poverty.

Poverty creates a situation in which people fail to get sufficient income so they cannot buy essential things.

A poor man lives his life without any facilities, such as two meals a day, clean drinking water, clothes, home, proper education, etc. Existence.

There are various reasons for poverty in India, but the distribution of national income is also a reason.

People in the lower-income group tend to be relatively poorer than the higher income group.

Children from poor families never get proper schooling, proper nutrition and happy childhood.

The most important causes of poverty are illiteracy, corruption, increasing population, poor agriculture, the difference between poor and rich, etc.

Poverty Essay 300 words:

Poverty represents poor quality of life, illiteracy, malnutrition, lack of basic needs, low human resource development etc.

This is the biggest challenge for the developing country, especially in India.

It is a phenomenon in which a section of the society cannot meet the basic needs of its life.

It has seen some decline in the poverty level in the last five years (from 26.1% in 1999–2000, from 35.97% in 1993–94).

It has also declined at the state level such that it decreased to 47.15% to 48.56% in Orissa, 43.42% to 37.43% in Madhya Pradesh, 31.15% to 40.85% in UP and 27.6% to 35.66% in West Bengal.

Instead of some decline in poverty in India, it is not a pleasure because the Indian BPL is still a very large number (26 crores).

Poverty in India can be eradicated by the use of some effective programs, although a combined effort by the government is needed for all.

The Government of India should formulate some effective strategies to develop the poor social sector through key components like primary education, population control, family welfare, employment generation etc., especially in rural areas. Also, read poverty essay in 400 words .

Effects of Poverty:

Illiteracy: Poverty makes people unable to get a proper education due to lack of money.

Nutrition and Diet: Poverty leads to inadequate availability of diet and inadequate nutrition which brings many fatal diseases and deficiency diseases.

Child labour: This gives rise to a huge level of illiteracy as the future of the country becomes involved in child labour at an early age.

Unemployment: Unemployment causes poverty because it creates a shortage of money which affects the daily life of the people.

It forces people against their will to live an incomplete life.

Social stress: It creates social tension due to income inequality between rich and poor.

Housing problems: This creates a bad situation for people to stay outside the house on sidewalks, roadways, other open spaces, multiple members in one room, etc.

Disease: It gives rise to various epidemic diseases because people with money shortage cannot maintain proper sanitation and hygiene.

Apart from this, they cannot afford a doctor for proper treatment of any disease.

Poverty alleviation: Poverty affects the lives of women to a great extent due to gender inequality and deprives them of proper diet, nutrition, medicines and treatment.

Essay on Poverty 400 words:

Poverty is a condition in which people are deprived of the basic necessities of life such as inadequacy of food, clothes and shelter.

Most people in India cannot get their two-time meals properly, sleep on the side of the road and wear dirty and old clothes.

They do not get proper and healthy nutrition, medicines, and other essential things.

Poverty is increasing in urban India due to an increase in urban population as people from rural areas prefer to migrate to cities and towns to get employment or to do some financial activity.

The income of about 8 crore urban people is below the poverty line and 4.5 crore urban people are at the threshold level of the poverty level.

A large number of people live in slums which are illiterate.

Despite some initiatives, no satisfactory results have been shown regarding poverty reduction. Also, read poverty essay FAQ .

Reasons for Poverty:

• The main causes of poverty in India are increasing population, poor agriculture, corruption, old customs, a huge gap between poor and rich people, unemployment, illiteracy, epidemic diseases etc.
• A large percentage of people in India depend on agriculture which is poor.
• People usually face food shortages due to poor agriculture and unemployment.
• The ever increasing population is also the cause of poverty in India; more population means more food, money and houses.
• In the lack of basic facilities, poverty increases rapidly, becoming extra rich and extra poor creates a huge gap between rich and poor people.
• Rich people are getting rich and poor people are becoming poor which creates an economic difference.

Impact of Poverty:

Poverty affects people’s lives in many ways.

• Poverty has various effects such as illiteracy, poor diet and nutrition, child labour, poor housing, poor lifestyle, unemployment, poor sanitation, the feminization of poverty, etc.
• Poor people cannot arrange a healthy diet, nor maintain a good lifestyle, home, good clothes, proper education etc., due to lack of money which creates a huge difference between rich and poor.
• This difference leads to underdeveloped countries.
• Poverty forces young children to work at a low cost and help their family financially rather than going to school.

Also, read 1. Indian Education System Essay 2. Indian Culture Essay 3. Essay on Education

Control Measures for Poverty:

• It is very important to solve the problem of poverty on a crucial basis for the good of humanity on this planet.
• Some measures that can play a big role in solving the problem of poverty are:
• Farmers should get proper and necessary facilities for good agriculture as well as to make it profitable.
• Those who are illiterate should be given necessary training for the betterment of life.
• Family planning should be followed by people to check for the increasing population and thus poverty.
• Corruption should be eliminated worldwide to reduce poverty.
• Every child should go to school and take proper education.
• There should be employment opportunities where people from all categories can work together. Also, read poverty essay conclusion .

Conclusion:

Poverty is not just an individual problem but is a national problem; this should be solved on an instant basis by implementing some effective solutions.

Various steps have been taken by the government to reduce poverty but there are no clear results.

Eradication of poverty is essential for sustainable and inclusive development of the people, economy, society and country.

Poverty can be eliminated effectively by the combined efforts of each and every individual.

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The basic necessities of life.

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I read with interest the November 13th BMJ -"Learning from low income countries" - whilst working in Lalibela in the highlands of Ethiopia - one of the poorest areas in one of the poorest countries in the world.

The children and young adults of sub-Saharan Africa - the continent`s future - who live in dire poverty are well aware of their lack of basic necessities.

They want "good" and sufficient food to be fit, healthy and strong. They need safe water. They have a huge desire to learn, to be taught, to progress in life.

A major part of that education must be health promotion regarding improved hygiene and sanitation, malaria protection (especially insecticide treated nets) and HIV education. The empowerment of women and widespread availability of family planning are absolutely essential.

The successful introduction of these basic and primary care measures will have far greater impact on their - and the continent`s - quality of life and longevity than any medical intervention.

Competing interests: No competing interests

WHAT ARE THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE ? AND HOW IT WORKS

Almost very many of our need in contemporary society has become necessity. These Necessities are so important that for any normal being to live the life he or she has imagined, he/she has to have the basic living necessities. With this brief introduction, we then ask ourselves what are the basic needs for life? What are life necessities? What are three basic needs? What are some necessities of life? what are necessities for living? What are basic needs/necessities of Life?

All the question above almost can be summarily said to be put in term of what are the basic necessities of life or what are the basic core needs man has to meet to survive. These questions can be answer in two stances, the first being the general and the other being the logical stance, for the latter, one could define basic necessity of life in term of region. One of the problems lots of African countries are facing which in turn rings largely on citizens wellbeing and life necessity is Political Problems and Ethnicity. These probably might not be the case in Regions like United state of America or United Kingdom or countries like Canada, Australia and so on. Regional basic necessities in the above-mentioned country might be relating to social issues, human right issues, violence against LGBTQ and all, majoritarian believes these are basic problems of life that can in turn affect basic necessities of the region at large. For it to make more sense, one has to see that little things brings bigger problem which could affect basic necessity of Life.

Having talk from perspective of regional Basic necessities let’s look into the general academia to see the General basic necessities that links every human in the world together. At this point we’d have to define the following:

What are Basic/essential Necessities of Life – This can be said to be as Basic human needs upon which human life depend largely on, without which survival holds on peril.

What are the 4 necessities of Life – Be it you reside in the United States, Canada, Japan, Lesotho, United Kingdom, South Africa, Algeria, New Zealand and son on and so for forth, there are four basic necessities for living without which man is as good as dead. These include:

Although there are other minor basic necessities of life, but for the purpose of understanding and quick read through we’d be stressing the Main basic necessities, although many believe the three basic needs are Food, clothing and Shelter! But they fail to remember Air is as much part as all others hinged on it, if the human doesn’t breathe, then what is Food or the cloth or Shelter? At the end of the post, we’d try to include other Minor common Necessities of life

• FOOD : Food is a substance taken into the body, either for nourishment purpose or for making the body develop, in life, food is one of the world necessities, without food human cannot survive, because how would you explain to the body without food to not think with anger. Food is what makes human survive and even repair worn out tissues. One needs food to get strong, filled, healthy, good looking, hear well, look tact and help the organs in your body. Actually, eating good food can never be over-emphasize, when one takes food that nourishes the body, it helps well the thinking process and how to go about every daily activity without frustration, goes with the popular saying that “a hungry man is an angry man”. The essence of food is to sustain life, body, brain, organ in the body, even the production of Spermatozoa or eggs in the body which largely result in reproduction of offspring and child-birth can be affected by eating style, Malnutrition can be a major problem in this respect. Food is indeed a basic necessity and basic need in life. There are tons of traditional United state food which could help your health and thinking process these include Hamburger, deep-dish pizza, Hominy Grits or the loving Texas Barbecue. Functions of food inter- alia include:
• Nourishment of the body system – Generally food nourishes the body and as one of the foremost basic needs of life, one has to take at the right time their breakfast, Lunch and brunch for nourishment
• Makes you grow: Growth takes place in human body from tender age to 15 for female and 17 for male, this is actually not all-encompassing and that is more reason why a kid around 12 to 15 should be fed well for good growth and nice skin. Food is important for growth take it from a tall person like me.
• Helps you reason fast: The popular phrase “to be creative is to eat well” is never untrue, to reason fast or to do things effectively, the absence of food in such system might deny such person such fast and accurate reason. Food is a basic necessity of life and is as important as life itself
• SHELTER : Shelter is a roof or a building where one can hide or live, rest after all day job, shelter also is one of the necessities of life, having one own shelter is like having 50% of all it takes for a fellow to walk through life. Shelter could be a rented apartment and sometimes could be a personal owned home, which-ever way, shelter is necessary for good living. Even though there is the two concepts of “Home” and “House” – House being a place to stay to pass the night and a place one doesn’t totally feel comfortable at, this could include Hotel, hostels, short-let taken, motels and all sort. This is in contradiction with home where one feel relaxes and chilled this could be one own house, family house and so on.

Shelter is essential and it is something any ambitious or an optimistic person should put into their agenda from inception. 3. Clothing – clothing is the idea of getting proper wears on, this beautifies the appearance of such character. Make one looks smart and fitting for the society, the clothing aspects is not just about wearing alone, it is wearing to fit into the societal classes. Clothing covers human nakedness. It is most important to see clothing as a key aspect of basic necessity of life. Clothing also serves as one of another leading necessities of life, as far as life is concern, so as we human have to put cloth on. Whoever says “cloth covers secret” wasn’t telling a bit of lies.

4. Air : Air is as important as the beginning of mankind itself, even from the first set of human that exist on this planet, without air, life would have been generally tough for them as they’d already die, without the old generation can there be a birth of a new one. Absolutely No! for this, air is one core most and basic necessity of life. Without it, the world is gone in a blink

5. Water : The popular H20, water is one of the basic necessities of life, because without water what is the food itself? or without water after food, how do man intend to survive. Water is life and an essential element that makes up totality of a person in itself.

Now let’s talk about other necessities of life, as the world is growing away from traditional and its archaic form, there is a lot require of people of the world, most of these factor now serve as other necessities of human being, part of it is this powerful one :

EDUCATION : Education is the process of acquiring knowledge, having the skill to read and write. there is the formal education, formal education Is the act of acquiring knowledge in the four corners of a classroom whereby a teacher teaches and the students assimilate the knowledge from what he speaks on or teaches.

Education of every little children to at least pass through a primary education as the bill was passed by the united nation organization in conjunction with other bill of many state of the world.

Education is a powerful tool and is one of the contemporaneous basic necessity of life

Thanks for reading this post, we appreciate you picked up…thanks so much Bless up.

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Ibkemmanuel

Hi, I'm IBK Emmanuel, A student at University of Lagos, Entrepreneur, Podcaster, Tutor and also Vlogger inter Alia, and I welcome you to the about me page of our lovely website, I hope you have a good experience navigating around so far, please if there is any question, you can with all pleasure ask, and i will in my best interest answer all your questions. We also register student for any form of examination ranging from GCE, WAEC, JAMB, P.UME, JUPEB and so on, we'd like you business with us as we deliver you the best service. Not to forget we also conduct both online (free and paid for) and offline Tutorials (home service for people around Lagos, the banner have have some of our service). You can contact us on : WHATSAPP : 08130184805 PHONE : 08130184805 FACEBOOK : IBKINTELLECT page

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