I had to recently do a bit of research on Maslow. So here’s the long winded version:
Hierarchy of Needs
In the mid twentieth century, Abraham Maslow, developed a theory on what motivated people to do certain things. Instead of focusing on research subjects that were neurotic as many people in the field did at that time, such as Sigmund Freud, Maslow’s findings were based on exemplary people, such as Albert Einstein, Frederick Douglass, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
He developed the theory around the hierarchy of human needs, usually symbolized by a layered pyramid. The most basic needs support the needs for survival. While the top needs, once achieved, direct us towards an enlightened state.
Physiological needs
The first and most basic need is physiological, the fundamental need to survive, which includes such things as food and water, the air we breathe, and sleep. Every organism must satisfy these needs to survive, and when these needs aren’t met, they manifest into feelings such as sickness, hunger, pain, and other discomforts. These are our most basic needs, and once they have been satisfied, the person will be motivated to move to the other levels.
Safety Needs
The next level of needs is characterized by safety. This need not only refers to our physical well being, but also our financial and job security as well. It’s natural to be attracted to a predictable and orderly world where the unexpected accidents are avoided. This needs lives in the mental perception of the person, as some people have a higher tolerance than others of living in chaos. This need pushes order within this chaotic world.
These two levels are survival needs. Maslow believed human nature had a desire for love and friendship. Only if a person feels there security or physiological needs are at risk will they resort to violence, which is true in situations of war and desperation.
Social Needs
But, the need for love and belonging has been part of our makeup since we were walking on our knuckles. The desire to be loved, the need to be accepted and part of groups, the connection of family – these are our natural instincts at play. As a social animals, we learn and help one another which increase our chances for survival. Without this fulfilled need of social interaction, they become lonely and depressed, and they turn off their Facebook account. We all have the desire to fulfill our belonging whether this be through micro-cultures, friendship, or intimacy.
Esteem Needs
Esteem gives confidence and respect and makes up the next level. There are two types of esteem: self-esteem is the belief in oneself. Self-respect is built with such values as competence, mastery, and freedom. It’s our ability to believe in ourselves and the decisions we make. The second piece is social esteem, which is the result of being accepted within a group and being a valued contributor. To do this, we must standout in someway to show our value. It’s our desire to be individual within the groups we choose to be part of. Our experience within these realms build our esteem for ourselves and the groups we share.
This is the reason we take 50 minutes out of our busy week to work on our speeches. We have a desire to improve ourselves by becoming better speakers. And our personal reasons vary: we may want to communicate better; we may want to open new doors in our careers; or we want to feel more comfortable speaking in front of people. This builds our esteem. And when these needs are not being met, people feel inferior, worthless, and helpless.
Self-Actualization
When the psychological needs of being loved and building esteem have been met after the basic survival needs, you’ve reached the chance for enlightenment – the need for self actualization. After understanding your potential, you have no excuse, but to strive what you are capable of. This is the state of growth and understanding.
As Maslow said, “What a man can be, he must be.” Within this stage a person is focused on becoming who they were meant to be – a chef must cook, a politician must make a difference, and a musician must play music. And this unsatisfying hunger drives us to be better.
But, the need is not so defined as the others. With the other needs, there’s an an emotional or physical response to fulfill this desire. If a person is hungry, unsafe, loved, or lacking self-esteem, it is very easy to understand what needs are not being fulfilled. With self actualization, there’s only an empty void with no clear answer. And during this stage, people will at time have a peak experience. While these moments may be short-lived, they provide clarity and a depth of understanding like no other. And this hunger takes over again and the search for growth continues.
With how difficult the world can be, Maslow only believed a small percentage could devote themselves to fulfilling their potential, which he termed as self actualizers. These people tended to have more peak experiences or moments of clarity. It leaves a mark on this person to be changed for the better. They not only improve themselves, but the world as well.
Maslow studied an assortment of well-known self-actualizers and found similar characteristics between them. They tended to enjoy deeper, personal relationships with a smaller amount of people They weren’t affected by social pressures, and they had an unhostile sense of humor, joking at their own expense rather than others. This was backed by a strong sense of ethics and an innate curiosity. This leads into the creativity, inventive, and originality
People who are in this state see life clearly, mostly dedicated to a cause greater than oneself. If life consists of a series of choices, self actualization is the process of making each decision based on growth for oneself and the world. This is the need and purpose we strive for.