Security versus Freedom

Those two terms are basic human needs we were born with. Whether you are aware or not, your earlier childhood experiences shape your current tendency either towards security or freedom.

Before we discuss further, let us first describe what is security and what is freedom.

Security is the need to feel safe, held and protected. It is a human need to know whenever you fall, there is a place for you to go and recover. Basically it is correlated with safety, connection, availability and certainty.

Turning our focus to freedom, it is totally an opposing human need. It means a person needs space to self-explore and reflect. It refers to an individual searching for meaning and purpose in the midst of routine and structure. It can also include acts of taking risk and chance to try something new and different.

While we compare security and freedom, they are actually both basic human needs. We need them both. However, in relationships and life events, you see people preferring one rather than the other. And in many cases, people have conflicts and misunderstandings because each one expresses opposing human needs at a time.

We can talk about this conflict also in the context of a person aiming to pursue a new career or hobby. You would be pulled by the need to be secured, safe and protected on one hand. And on the other hand, you would long for thrill, adventure, new experiences and risk.

At the end, it depends on you. How you would balance them out and utilize the one that you need the most in your current life experience.