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

The human being moves and acts moved by 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 of primary drives as something that is impossible to do on some occasion. escape and that are sometimes used as a justification for different types of actions, and may even commit acts criminal.

But... What are primal drives and why are they considered as such? In this article we propose to make a brief comment about it.

• Related article: "Maslow's pyramid: the hierarchy of human needs"

What is a primal impulse?

We can consider as primary impulses the set of motivations that induce action in order to respond to the most basic needs of the subject, being its fundamental compliance in most cases for the survival of the subject.

These impulses are aimed at ensuring that the subject manages to increase his energy level if it is insufficient. to maintain its functioning or to survive, or reduce it if it is excessive and poses a risk to its health. It also allows

maintain a state of homeostasis or balance that keeps us alive.

The primary impulses have a biological or organic basis, being and arising in an innate way in all living beings. This implies that the impulse is not culturally learned, although the means to achieve it (hunting, cultivating or flirting, for example) are. In fact the primal impulses are shared by a large number of animals, not just humans.

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The main primal impulses

There are different types of primary stimuli, highlighting four main ones. Although generally speaking of three, according to the definition of these we have decided to add a fourth primary impulse that in fact is essential for our survival. Let's see them below.

1. Hunger

The impulse to feed is one of the most basic that exists, and allows survival through the intake of different nutrients. Thus the individual can maintain or increase their energy levels. This type of primary drive oscillates between two main types of signals or poles, hunger or the drive to seek food or satiety as the drive to stop eating.

• Related article: "Differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger: eating without need takes its toll"

2. 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 body homeostasis can be maintained. It must be borne in mind that throughout our lives we continually lose fluids with our behavior, with which not recovering them would end up leading us to death. Thanks to thirst we can recover fluid levels and maintain the proper functioning of our body.

3. Sex

Probably one of the best known primal impulses and the one that is most considered as such, sex is the mechanism through which we perpetuate our species, generating new individuals that will carry a large part of our genetic code. Within the primary impulses, however, we are facing one of the most particular, since it has unique characteristics.

In the first place, it is the only one of the primary impulses that does not really involve an activity that alters the chances of survival. of the individual organism, also assuming neither an increase nor a decrease in the level of energy that is necessary to stay with life. Likewise, another particularity of this primary impulse is that it is the only one of the most primary that necessarily requires interaction with another member of the same species, promoting a certain level of socialization.

4. Dream

Although sleep or rest is not always added as one of the primary impulses because it implies an absence of behavioral activity, the truth is that we could include it within them. In fact, it is one of the most important vital needs, the total absence of which would lead us to death. The reasons for the dream to be considered a primary impulse happen in the first place because 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 throughout life, avoiding the state of deficiency and discomfort that would mean not having this need deck.

Other Fundamental Primal Drives

Although when we talk about primary impulses we usually think of the previous four, the truth is that we can think of many others that we do not usually take into account and that are even to a great extent 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. Although in some species both mother and father seem to sense it, in others it is only found in one of the parents. Generally this parent is the mother (although for example in the seahorse it happens the other way around).

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

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

2. Breathing

It is an impulse that is semi-conscious in humans, but is not such in other species (such as dolphins). It supposes the impulse of open the airway to allow a supply of oxygen to enter (which allows our cells to stay alive) and the excretion of waste from cell function.

3. Excretion

Defecating or urination are fundamental processes, which suppose a primary impulse directed to eliminate from the body all those organic residues that could harm our operation to stay within us. If salivation or sweating are not included, it is because they are unconscious processes, not requiring conscious action or motivation for action.