I hear the question all the time for characterization, “What
does the character want?” I like
wants. Wants are interesting. Everyone wants something. It is a great thing to think about in terms
of motivation, and even more fun when a character thinks that they want one
thing, but really wants another.
But what about what the character needs?
I wonder if needs are just less interesting than wants
because we humans all need the same basic things, but we all want so many
different things, but I think it is still a useful question when working on
characterization.
I think almost everyone has heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs, a theory presented by Abraham Maslow in a paper called “A Theory of
Human Motivation.” See that motivation. It makes sense that needs would be a strong
motivator, stronger than wants. And if
we think about wants a little deeper, we’d see that every want is connected to
a need, and sometimes that underlining need is obvious, and sometimes it isn’t.
Maslow categorized the basic human needs into different
levels, and while the human brain is complex and multiple needs on multiple
levels can be motivating us at the same time, in general, one level of needs
has to be met before we will “deeply desire” the next level (according to Maslow). Notice the deeply desire. Just because someone hasn’t met the first
level of needs (physiological) doesn’t mean they don’t need companionship or
safety or respect. Only when you are
starving, that need for food becomes the most important. Humans are complex, and my far from expert
opinion is that we need all of these levels, but some are just more pressing
than others.
So here are the levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, with
the most fundamental needs first (source).
1. Physiological
needs breathing, water, food, sex,
homeostasis.
2. Safety
Security of: body, employment,
resources, morality, the family, health, property
3. Love/Belonging Friendship, family, sexual intimacy
4. Esteem
Self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by
others
5. Self-actualization Morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem
solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of fact
I think that by figuring out where your character is on
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, you can identify the underlining need driving your
character’s wants and maybe achieve a deeper level of characterization. Might be worth thinking about.
Of course like every brilliant idea, someone else has beaten
me to this; here’s the link
to see another perspective.
Happy characterization.
~MaryAnn
Wants and Needs. Sometimes people can't tell the difference between wants and needs and make bad financial decisions because of it. I have a friend with whom I discuss this often. Interesting that you would incorporate that with character building in a story.
ReplyDeleteA-Z
LOL, I know a few people who can't separate wants from needs too. Not a good thing. Thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteAh, college...I haven't thought about Maslow for such a long time. You've got it exactly right--he was a genius, except he didn't add moms and soldiers into his equations. Fantastic post, MaryAnn. It actually gave me a bit of important insight into one of my characters. I love it when that happens. :)
ReplyDeleteYay, I'm glad it helped. I always thought Maslow was brilliant too. His hierarchy of needs is one of the few things from psych 101 that I remember.
DeleteI love how the basics of humanity are so essential to overall plot. It's easy to lose sight of this sometimes. Great reminder that are characters are--and should always be--human beings. (Unless we're writing sci-fi, but I think this need chart is applicable to any creature/alien/monster we invent, too. In fact, it might be interesting to sit down and develop a needs-based chart for a species outside of our own. What a great world/society builder.)
ReplyDeleteThat would be a great exercise in world-building for a nonhuman character. I'll have to remember that. :)
DeleteWell done Maryann.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sheena. :)
DeleteExcellent MaryAnn!
ReplyDeleteI never thought about how deeply needs can complicate a character and influence their POV. Thinking of the Hunger Games, Katniss know true needs - like food. So, in the second book when she goes to the Capitol banquet, even though hunger isn't a problem for her personally anymore, it colors her entire perception of the event.
Very, very interesting. Great post!
I didn't think about Katniss, but you are very right. She struggled for so much of her life trying to meet those basic needs of survival that it really affected her throughout the series even those times when those needs were met. That is definitely something to think about when creating characters.
DeleteI think it's really useful to think about needs because characters, like people, often don't know what they *really* want. But if you understand the needs that are fueling those wants, and then understand how their wants might not meet their needs, then you can see how a character has to change herself or her world in order to bring her wants and needs into alignment. Gosh that was a mouthful... This post is making me think!
ReplyDeleteThat was a mouthful, but it makes perfect sense to me. I definitely think this is a way to add depth to the character when needs and wants don't align.
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