The need to feel that one's actions matter — that they leave the world, a community, or another person in a state different from how it was found. Not necessarily large-scale or publicly visible, but the felt sense of having participated meaningfully in something beyond oneself. Distinct from [[Need - Meaning]], which is about personal significance and weight of experience. Contribution is specifically outward-facing — the difference one makes in the world or in the lives of others. ## Feelings that signal this need is unmet [[Restless]] | [[Disconnected]] | [[Despairing]] [[Withdrawn]] ## How it commonly manifests A background sense of idleness or futility — the feeling that one's time and energy are not landing anywhere that matters. Can produce restlessness even when circumstances are objectively comfortable, because comfort without contribution can feel like stagnation. In work, this need shows up as a requirement that tasks carry genuine purpose — not just income or status, but the sense that the work serves something real. ## Values filter question *Does my time and energy leave something better than I found it?* ## Related needs [[Need - Meaning]] | [[Need - Authenticity]] [[Need - Connection]] | [[Need - Growth]]