As animals we are born into a material world where we need air to breathe, water, nutritious food and sufficient sleep.  These are the paramount physical needs.  Without them, we quickly die.  In addition we also need the freedom to stimulate our senses and exercise our muscles.  We instinctively seek sufficient and secure shelter where we can grow and reproduce ourselves and bring up our young.  These physical needs are intimately bound up with our emotional needs, the main focus of Human Givens psychology.