Glossary
Core Needs
Part of: Safety
Core Needs are the six things every person requires to develop well: Safety, Connection, Autonomy, Capability, Expression and Limits.
1 min read · By Jay · Reviewed October 12, 2026
Core Needs are what every person requires to develop well. Our model names six of them.
- Safety: physical and emotional security, predictable care.
- Connection: being seen, accepted, belonging.
- Autonomy: directing your own life and choices.
- Capability: feeling able to handle life and grow.
- Expression: freedom to show feelings, needs and play.
- Limits: structure, boundaries, self-control.
They are given and universal. Nobody earns them and nobody grows out of them. They are one of the three parts of your Core Self.
A tiny example. Your first week in a new job can touch several at once: Safety (will this be okay), Connection (will they like me), Capability (can I do this).
Limits matters because it puts accountability inside the model. A person who was never given limits adapts too.
Read more on the Core Needs page, then follow each need to its own page, starting with Safety.