Let’s see how this whole Desires Map plays out in a real/semi-real example … with sweatpants. Sweatpants, joggers, tracksuit bottoms, or trackies were first introduced in the 1920s by Émile Camuset, the founder of Le Coq Sportif.
We’re no sweatpant experts. We simply started with a super mundane product category – sweatpants – to see how the Human Desires Map would play out in an example with which we can all relate.
We all know sweatpants. The staples of sidelines and lazy Sunday mornings. If I were to ask you to associate sweatpants with one of the four Human desires, without thinking, you would all say “Comfort”. And you’d be right, of course. Our immediate, natural association of sweatpants is with comfort.
However, when we dig into it and look at “sweats” over time, through different brands, products, materials and lifestyle shifts, we can see expanded associations, beyond “Comfort” and into “Play”, “Attraction” and even “Power”, creating new relevance with consumers by addressing more of our innate desires.
Somewhere back in history – let’s call it the 80s – sweatpants started to evolve beyond the “Comfort” box and moved into “Attraction” and “Play”… think luleulemon, Addidas, Nike and created, what is now an estimated US$200 billion global athleisure market.
While never giving up its “Comfort” cred, sweatpants found new relevance as they became more fit for “Play” (the pun is intentional). Sweats became more functional, with new materials, moisture wicking and/or repelling qualities – creating new occasions to use them, not merely after sport, but for it. Sweats became more emotional too, as identity markers of an aspirational, active lifestyle … where I both “work hard and play hard.” [insert 80s fashion model stare]
Further, the humble sweatpant, found new acceptance in the “Attraction” box, as they walked out of the yoga studio and walked into the after-yoga coffee shop. They took on new forms, fits, colors and designs. They showed up on celebrities “just like us”. They were embraced by designers. They were given new names like “leggings”, “jeggings”, and “joggers”. Lawmakers spoke out against them (btw, there is no better way to get people to embrace something than by getting lawmakers to speak out against that thing, but I digress ;-).
Not to mention the “Power” sweatpants can yield when I decide that I’ve had enough of squeezing myself into someone else’s version of me and I find “power” in the “comfort” of being my “real” self in the perfect pair of joggers.
FAQs
At our emotional core, we all want safety, belonging and mattering.
What are the 10 desires in life? ›
So those are my 10: the desire to be taken seriously, the desire for my place, the desire for something to believe in, the desire to connect, the desire to be useful, the desire to belong, the desire for more, the desire for control, the desire for something to happen and the desire for love.
What does humas want? ›
Humanity wants many things, as each individual has their own unique desires, needs, and aspirations. However, some common desires shared by many people include the pursuit of happiness, love and connection with others, a sense of purpose and meaning in life, security, stability, and good health.
What is the meaning of human desires? ›
While desires are often classified as emotions by laypersons, psychologists often describe desires as ur-emotions, or feelings that do not quite fit the category of basic emotions. For psychologists, desires arise from bodily structures and functions (e.g., the stomach needing food and the blood needing oxygen).
What is the strongest desire in human? ›
Whether or not you buy that, it is clear that sexual desire is one of the — if not the — strongest of human needs.
What is the biggest human desire? ›
The greatest desire of the human heart is to be loved and accepted. The greatest need of human existence is to belong, connect with another, and know that we are of inestimable value. This is why our greatest joys and most bitter disappointments involve relationships. We'll get to belonging in a minute.
What is the greatest desire? ›
Humanity's greatest desire is to belong and connect. And now we see each other. We hear each other. We share what we love, and it reminds us what we all have in common.
What are five human wants? ›
First and most important wants are obviously necessaries for life. These include food, water, clothing, shelter, etc. And then there are necessaries that improve our efficiency and well being like comfortable housing, nourishing foods, etc.
What is the best desire in life? ›
We want health, wealth, comfort, good relationships, success, good progeny and fame. There are also spiritual desires - we have a desire to know about life after death, about how to remain detached and equanimous under all kinds of circ*mstances and we want to be at peace.
How to act more human? ›
Below you will find your guide to being a good human being and behaving in ways that make others feel good, too.
- Be kind. ...
- Listen. ...
- Be non-judgmental. ...
- Support people's decisions. ...
- Be someone's biggest cheerleader. ...
- Be polite. ...
- Live a life that's true to you. ...
- Take care of yourself.
7 Tips for Becoming More Human
- Don't use buzz-words or jargon dumps. ...
- Make things entertaining. ...
- Don't just tell me that this will make my life better, let me know why I should even care in the first place.
- If a mistake is made, own up to it, ask for forgiveness and tell me how you are going to fix the situation.
Humans have inherited a survival-oriented drive to secure resources as products of evolution. Our ancestors faced numerous challenges in their environments, and those who possessed a strong desire for more were likely to succeed in acquiring the necessary means for survival.
What are the deep desires of humans? ›
For instance, desire for nourishment, rest, affection, and security can be described as being innate and thus 'deep' in this sense.
What are our core desires? ›
Core Desires are the emotions behind our deepest longings and biggest dreams. Every time we feel an emotion, our brain fires corresponding pathways within its neurological network. The more powerful the emotion, the more our brain solidifies that particular pathway.
What is the triangle of human desires? ›
The mimetic desire is triangular, based on the subject, model, and object. The subject mimics the model, and both desire the object. Subject and model thus form a rivalry which eventually leads to the scapegoat mechanism.
What are the primal desires of humans? ›
Human beings are born with eight primal needs—needs that are programmed by DNA into the subconscious—and are essential for survival. These eight primal needs are acceptance, connectedness, contentment, freedom, gratification, guardianship, prestige, and survival.
