""After the drive for food and shelter, it is the motivation to matter that drives human behavior," says Wallace. "It is this idea of feeling valued by our family, our friends, our colleagues, our community, and having an opportunity to add value back to the world around us." Studies show that when we have this, it is better for our overall health, especially mental health. "The research is finding that it is linked with lower depression, lower anxiety, reduced risk of suicide," says Wallace."
""when did you feel like you mattered?" they never cited the big moments in life, she says, just the small ones. "It was someone leaving them a seat at the table. It was a colleague checking in after a tough meeting. It was a neighbor stopping by with a pot of soup when they were sick," she says. So, we as humans crave to matter in the day to day. We crave to matter in the details of life."
The need to feel valued by others is a fundamental human motivation after basic drives like food and shelter. Feeling valued and adding value to others drives behavior and supports overall and mental health, linking to lower depression, anxiety, and reduced suicide risk. Purpose and deep connection often emerge from small everyday acts rather than grand gestures. Simple behaviors — leaving someone a seat, checking in after a hard moment, bringing soup, offering to walk a neighbor's dog, or supporting a struggling parent — cultivate belonging, meaning, and a sense of mattering in daily life.
Read at www.npr.org
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