Wanting to belong isn't a soft need. Two psychologists argued it's as basic as hunger
In a widely cited 1995 review, Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary argued that forming and keeping lasting social bonds is a fundamental human motivation, not a byproduct of other needs. People who lack regular, positive social contact show measurably worse health, mood and cognitive function, and the drive shows up across cultures and life stages. It reframed decades of scattered findings around one idea: social connection is a biological need, not a preference.