The 4 main primal drives: what are they and what are they for?

These predispositions allow us to survive without having to stop and think about what to do.

Human beings move and act for different reasons and goals. These can be multiple, often based on the fact of supplying a lack or need or preventing its appearance. It is in this context that we have probably heard on some occasion about the primary impulses as something that is impossible to avoid and that are sometimes used as justification for different types of actions, and can even lead to committing criminal acts.

But... what are primary impulses and why are they considered as such? In this article we propose to make a brief commentary on the matter.

What is a primal drive?

We can consider as primary drives the set of motivations set of motivations that induce to act in order to respond to the most basic needs of the subject, their fulfillment being fundamental in most cases for the survival of the subject. of the subject, their fulfillment being fundamental in most cases for the survival of the subject.

These impulses are aimed at getting the subject to increase his energy level if it is insufficient to maintain his functioning or to survive, or to reduce it if it is excessive and poses a risk to his health. It also makes it possible to maintain a state of homeostasis or balance that keeps us alive..

Primary impulses have a Biological or organic basis, being and arising innately in all living beings. This implies that the impulse is not culturally learned, although the means to achieve them (hunting, cultivating or flirting for example) are. In fact, the primary drives are shared by a large number of animals, not only human beings..

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The main primary drives

There are different types of primary stimuli, with four main ones standing out. Although we usually speak of three, we have decided to add a fourth primary impulse that is in fact fundamental for our survival. Let's see them below.

Hunger

The impulse to feed is one of the most basic that exist, and allows survival through the ingestion of different nutrients. In this way the individual can maintain or increase its energy levels.. This type of primary drive oscillates between two main types of signals or poles, hunger or drive to seek food or satiety as a drive to cease intake.

Thirst

Thirst is another of the fundamental primary impulses, which allows us to survive. The objective of this impulse is to recover the levels of liquids or body fluids in such a way that the corporal homeostasis can be maintained. It should be kept in mind that throughout our lives we continually lose fluids with our we lose fluids continuously with our behaviorIf we do not recover them, we will end up dying. Thanks to thirst we can recover fluid levels and maintain the correct functioning of our organism.

3. Sex

Probably one of the best-known and most widely considered primary drives, sex is the mechanism through which we perpetuate the life of our bodies. the mechanism through which we perpetuate our species, generating new individuals to carrygenerating new individuals that will carry a large part of our genetic code. Within the primary drives, however, we are dealing with one of the most particular, since it has unique characteristics.

In the first place, it is the only one of the primary impulses that in reality does not involve an activity that alters the possibilities of survival of the individual organism, and it does not involve either an increase or a decrease in the level of energy necessary to stay alive. Another particularity of this primary impulse is that it is the only one of the most primary ones that necessarily requires interaction with another member of the organism. necessarily requires interaction with another member of the same species, promoting a certain level of socialization.promoting a certain level of socialization.

4. Sleep

Although sleep or rest is not always added as one of the primary drives because it implies an absence of behavioral activity, the truth is that we could include it among them. In fact, it is one of the most important vital needs, the total absence of which would lead to death. The reasons why sleep can be considered a primary impulse are, first of all, that it is something imposed by our biology. it is something imposed by our biology which allows us to survive.

This impulse to want to sleep leads us to optimize energy levels and physical activation throughout life, avoiding the state of lack and discomfort that would result from not having this need met.

Other fundamental primal drives

Although when we talk about primary drives we usually think of the four above, the truth is that we can think of many others that we do not usually take into account and that are even largely unconscious. Among them we can find the following.

1. Maternal or paternal impulse

This type of impulse arises innately when we are fathers or mothers.. While in some species both mother and father seem to feel it, in others it is only found in one of the parents. Generally this parent is the mother (although in the seahorse, for example, it is the other way around).

This impulse shares with the sexual impulse the fact that it does not at the physiological level it does not provide any benefit at the level of individual survival, although it does for theIt is linked to the presence of a being of the same species.

A distinctive element is the kinship relationship that usually exists between parent and offspring (although it also appears in the case of adopted children). It refers to the need to be close to, protect, nurture, care for and look after the offspring. This impulse can even push the animal or subject to self-destructive acts in order to protect the offspring.

2. Breathing

It is an impulse that is semi-conscious in humans, but not so in other species (such as dolphins). It involves the impulse to open the airways in order to allow the entry of a supply of oxygen (which allows our cells to stay alive) and the (which allows our cells to stay alive) and the excretion of waste products of cellular functioning.

3. Excretion

Defecating or urinating are fundamental processes, involving a primary impulse aimed at eliminating from the body all organic waste that could impair our functioning if it were to remain within us. If we do not include salivation. If salivation or sweating are not included, it is because they are unconscious processes, not requiring conscious action or motivation to act.