Human beings move and act for different reasons and goals. These can be multiple, often based on filling a gap or need or preventing its occurrence. It is in this context that we have probably heard of primary impulses as something that is impossible to escape and that are sometimes used as a justification for different types of actions, even to the point of committing criminal acts.

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

What is a primary 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 their fulfilment fundamental in most cases for the survival of the subject.

These impulses are aimed at making the subject achieve an increase in his energy level if it is insufficient to maintain his functioning or survive, or a reduction if it is excessive and poses a risk to his health. It also allows to maintain a state of homeostasis or balance that keeps us alive .

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 learned culturally, although the means to achieve them (hunting, farming or flirting for example) are. In fact, the primary impulses are shared by a large number of animals, not only human beings .

The main primary impulses

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

1. Hunger

The impulse to feed oneself is one of the most basic impulses that exist, and they allow survival through the intake of different nutrients. In this way the individual can maintain or increase his energy levels . This type of primary impulse oscillates between two main types of signals or poles, hunger or the urge to seek food or satiety as an urge to stop eating.

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 body fluids or liquids in such a way that the body’s homeostasis can be maintained. It should be taken into account that throughout our lives we continuously lose fluids through our behaviour , so that not recovering them would end up leading us to death. Thanks to thirst we can recover the levels of fluids and maintain the proper functioning of our body.

3. Sex

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

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

4. Sleep

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 supposes one of the most important vital needs whose total absence would lead us to death. The reasons why sleep can be considered a primary impulse are firstly 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 life, avoiding the state of lack and discomfort that would result from not having this need covered.

Other fundamental primary impulses

Although when we speak of primary impulses we usually think of the four previous ones, the truth is that we can think of many others that we don’t 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 comes naturally when we are parents . Although 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 one the fact that at a physiological level does not suppose any benefit at an individual survival level , although it does 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 kinship relationship that usually exists between parent and child (although it also appears in the case of adopted children). It refers to the need to be close, to protect, to nurture, to care for and to look after 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 not so in other species (such as dolphins). It involves the impulse to open the airways in order to allow the entry of an oxygen supply (which allows our cells to stay alive) and the excretion of waste products from cell functioning.

3. Excretion

Defecating or urinating are fundamental processes, which involve a primary impulse directed at eliminating from the body all those organic residues that could harm our functioning if kept inside us. If salivation or sweating are not included, it is because they are unconscious processes, not requiring conscious action or motivation to act.