I don’t consider myself needy. I value/appreciate feedback/communication from those I care for/respect, but my expectations of those people are fairly well-calibrated, I think. In more intimate contexts, this sort of feedback is grounding/reassuring, but I don’t think I require it in any excess, nor do I feel terribly panicked when I don’t receive said reassurance. I’ve certainly got my own baggage of insecurities, but I do my very best to ensure no one else carries it. Periodic unpacking/sorting helps keep that load manageable.
We’re born alone. We die alone. Everything in between is a precious bonus, but by no means guaranteed to anyone.. Humans are inherently inconsistent/messy for a host of reasons in life. That’s not even factoring in how some can just die on you. I try to adapt to that everpresent knowledge, & not hang my self value/fulfillment in life on the opinion/affection/approval/presence of others, while still factoring them in quite heavily in some ways— we are social animals after all, & I do feel a sort of universal connection with people, to some extent or another.
I am intensely connected with/attached to a select few. I love the close people in my life with all of myself, but I also accept that I’m not necessarily entitled to that in turn, & even if reciprocated, nothing is truly permanent. And that’s okay. It’s a tightrope act, but what isn’t? In the end, I’m still here, ground beneath my feet, whether someone is holding my hand or not. And life is beautiful.
Despite my sense of connection with fellow humans, I am rather allergic to overly clingy/needy behavior in others. Chock that up to building healthy boundaries over the yrs, & an inborn bit of high introversion, I suppose. I just don’t have the energy to navigate that. It usually stems from issues that should be addressed with a more qualified person, & I’m painfully aware of my own limits.
This only applies to people, of course. I have boundless energy for emotionally (or otherwise) needy cats.