What is Human Givens? - part 2

What is written here is our own summary and interpretation of some of the ideas presented in the Human Givens book and training provided by Mindfields College. For a full description please refer to the book "Human Givens: a new approach to emotional health and clear thinking" by Joe Griffen and Ivan Tyrell. See our list of Human Givens books for more information.

Human Givens is a set of ideas which simplify our understanding of how humans behave and interact. It provides a new way of looking at behaviour and mental health and is not only being successfully applied to the counselling of distressed people but is also influencing fields as diverse as parenting, politics, education, work, law, psychology, philosophy and communication - wherever, in fact, there is a need to understand and nurture people or make best use of valuable human resources.

Every one of us has "needs" such as food, shelter, the need for attention and a sense of purpose to our lives. We also all have "resources" such as memory, imagination and self awareness. When the needs of an individual are being met and his or her resources are being used correctly then that person will lead a balanced and fruitful life. It is only when these needs are not being met or we are misusing our natural resources that we begin to develop disorders such as addictions and depression.

Imagine that looking at the world from a Human Givens perspective is like trying on a special pair of reading glasses. Everything is still easily recognisable but some things become instantly clearer. While wearing these "Human Givens reading glasses" it becomes clear why aspects of other therapies and branches of psychology work. Equally, it becomes clear why some practices (such as encouraging people to "act out their inner anger") can sometimes be unnecessary or even dangerous. It makes sense of why addictions, depression and other mental health issues happen to people and offers practical solutions for the vast majority of problems caused by your brain not working to your best advantage. This includes all of the issues for which you might choose to visit a psychotherapist or counsellor. You don't have to change your beliefs to try on these "Human Givens reading glasses" and you can take them off whenever you want to. The ideas are based on scientific research and common sense. Try them out for yourself.

All humans beings have certain things in common. Whether you were born in the remotest part of Tibet or the heart of Surrey you share a set of attributes with all other human beings on this planet. The phrase "Human Givens" refers to those things which are a "given" of human nature - what we are born with. The field of human givens recognises that in order to live a balanced and healthy life we need to have our basic human needs fulfilled. When all our real needs are fully met we do not develop behaviours such as addiction, obsessive behaviour, anxiety etc.

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