The need for a felt sense of balance in giving and receiving. Not a transactional ledger or demand for symmetry, but an organic sense that the exchange between people carries weight on both sides — that one's own experience, effort, or investment is being met in kind. Distinct from [[Need - Mutuality]], which is more about shared presence in the moment. Reciprocity is specifically about the balance of give and receive over time. ## Feelings that signal this need is unmet [[Angry]] | [[Resentful]] | [[Withdrawn]] [[Disconnected]] | [[Invisible]] ## How it commonly manifests Most clearly in situations where giving, accommodating, or attending to another person continues past the point of genuine engagement — without equivalent consideration flowing in return. The deficit often accumulates invisibly before breaking through as anger or resentment. ## Values filter question *Am I still genuinely present in this exchange, or am I running on accommodation?* ## Related needs [[Need - Mutuality]] | [[Need - To Be Seen]] [[Need - Autonomy]] | [[Need - Fairness]] [[Need - Integrity]]