I was taught a lot of things during my many years in school. I say taught, and not learned, because I don't really feel I learned that much. Many things I was taught I already knew. Many things I was taught aren't so anymore. Many things I was taught were opinions of people, given a position of authority, and hammered into the heads of innocent minds. One thing that stood out in my years of schooling, and one thing which still resonates today was the Hierarchy of Needs developed by Abraham Maslow in the Early 1940's.
Maslow studied the top 1% of college students and of exemplary people such as Albert Einstein. This pyramid of needs is put in order of importance, with the basis of life listed on the bottom and the top being self-actualization. Now while his "research" only looked at the elite, it struck me as quite accurate, in that so few of us realize our own self worth, many for reasons decided in the lower levels of this pyramid. I feel today, as I have met thousands of people that this is true. I mean not to offend anyone, but just my perceptions. Perhaps, I am wrong and looking through rose colored glass. Like all theories, this one has been bashed by many. I find it to be valid.
The bottom level is physiological needs such as food, water, sleep, breathing, excretion. These needs are those needed to survive. Without these there can be no advancement, and it is believed that without these, the core of the next level can not be attained. Think about people who are starving or sick, and how difficult it would be for them to worry about more important aspects of life. In today's world, especially in third world nations, these needs are not being met. In our country more and more are at risk every day. We try to go forward, but for many, who are hungry sick, this is impossible.
The next level is safety & security. That of having employment, family, health, and property. Basically this is the need for us to have a means to support ourselves, have the support of our family, and to have shelter and good health. Sadly, this is where our country seems to drop the ball. A better health care system, call it what you will for those who do not like the term socialized, is so important. The family structure is also in trouble. With divorce and unemployment rates at staggering highs, we have to worry about our basic security needs. At times, the support of a strong family can overcome some of the other aspects of this level, but somewhere along the line, there must be some security to achieve the next level.
The third level is love and belonging. Some might think this is the first level as it contains friendship, family and sexual intimacy, but it is difficult to have a strong family bond without the first two levels. Unlike adolescent sex, adult intimacy is much more complex than its younger counterpart. This nurturing by others brings us acceptance and initimacy. Sadly, this is where most people's lives stop. The desire to be loved is so strong, that when people feel they have lost this level, the results can often be tragic. Then again, they might have a family who loves them through thick and thin, friends, and someone who is attracted to them physically and fulfills those needs, but still, this is only the halfway point. The fractured family structure and the gossip-fueled society we live in, has truly damaged this level. TV, movies, newspapers and magazines have changed the American vision. No longer is the wife, two kids and the white picket fence the norm or the dream. At least not from what I see.
The next level is esteem. The ability to have confidence, the respect of and by others, and a feeling of achievement. Now very few people would ever say they don't have these things, but honestly, very few people exude confidence. Very few people have the respect of their peers. Many of us have jobs that pay the bills, some handsomely, but how many of us have a feeling of achievement. Does the average person go to work, come home and go to sleep feeling that everything they have done during the day was respected? Do they have a feeling of achievement? I highly doubt it. What about people in power? They seem to have less respect than any in today's world. It's a scary thought. Every day we seem to hear about a hostage crisis or a shooting spree, and we listen to experts say this and that, when the reality is that all these people really needed was someone to tell them something positive, or maybe they just needed to be loved. Many times, it's that simple.
The top level of the pyramid is self-actualization. In many ways this is a rare level. It's the recognition of one's morals, creativity, problem solving, and reaching one's needs without prejudice or hurting another. It is important to distinguish self-actualization from achievement. This is not a driving force necessarily, but a realization. Sure, there might be some people who walked all over people to fulfill their dreams, but the reality is, they know this, thus it is not self-actualization.
Sure there are problems with this model, because many might say they have reached one level, while bypassing the others, but if you really break it down, it's impossible. Can you have creativity and realize your dream as a starving artist who becomes famous, if you didn't have the love and admiration of others? Was your drive to be famous? Then possibly, you haven't reached the final stage. I'd like to say I'm somewhere in category four, although sometimes monetary problems may thrust me down to level two. There are times when I am working with kids and a parent tells me five years later that I had a positive effect on their child. I have recognized my dream, but then the reality is, that this compliment and good feeling might not be shared by all and isn't respected because I was in a can't fail situation. Who knows?
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs isn't how we measure ourselves to others, it's how we measure ourselves, period. One should be aware of their environment and try to be authentic and stress their individuality. Something that is very difficult in today's world. If you feel the need to buy a Coach bag because your neighbor has one, buying it isn't self actualization, it's making up for not having parts of the esteem level.
An interesting movie (and book) that somewhat relates to this topic is Into the Wild. A young man goes to live in the wilderness and believes he doesn't need possessions, friendship, or love to realize himself. In the beginning he's quoting Thoreau and how money, love, possessions mean nothing, and only the truth matters. In the end, in his own almost dementia inspired words, he scribbles in a notebook "Happiness only real when shared." While the movie is very Hollywood, and I didn't like the main character, the message is that when we run away from things for the sake of running away from them, we lose the ability to share experiences with people, good and bad, and grow from them.
My point in this post is that in today's world we constantly hear about fate and destiny. We hear that people get what they deserve. In our political lives right now we're hearing people say we're moving towards socialism and that people must learn and provide for themselves. My argument against these thoughts is that if one out of three of us can not attain the third level of Maslow's pyramid. How can the rest of us strive to achieve the fifth, without prejudice towards those who can not?
Maslow studied the top 1% of college students and of exemplary people such as Albert Einstein. This pyramid of needs is put in order of importance, with the basis of life listed on the bottom and the top being self-actualization. Now while his "research" only looked at the elite, it struck me as quite accurate, in that so few of us realize our own self worth, many for reasons decided in the lower levels of this pyramid. I feel today, as I have met thousands of people that this is true. I mean not to offend anyone, but just my perceptions. Perhaps, I am wrong and looking through rose colored glass. Like all theories, this one has been bashed by many. I find it to be valid.
The bottom level is physiological needs such as food, water, sleep, breathing, excretion. These needs are those needed to survive. Without these there can be no advancement, and it is believed that without these, the core of the next level can not be attained. Think about people who are starving or sick, and how difficult it would be for them to worry about more important aspects of life. In today's world, especially in third world nations, these needs are not being met. In our country more and more are at risk every day. We try to go forward, but for many, who are hungry sick, this is impossible.
The next level is safety & security. That of having employment, family, health, and property. Basically this is the need for us to have a means to support ourselves, have the support of our family, and to have shelter and good health. Sadly, this is where our country seems to drop the ball. A better health care system, call it what you will for those who do not like the term socialized, is so important. The family structure is also in trouble. With divorce and unemployment rates at staggering highs, we have to worry about our basic security needs. At times, the support of a strong family can overcome some of the other aspects of this level, but somewhere along the line, there must be some security to achieve the next level.
The third level is love and belonging. Some might think this is the first level as it contains friendship, family and sexual intimacy, but it is difficult to have a strong family bond without the first two levels. Unlike adolescent sex, adult intimacy is much more complex than its younger counterpart. This nurturing by others brings us acceptance and initimacy. Sadly, this is where most people's lives stop. The desire to be loved is so strong, that when people feel they have lost this level, the results can often be tragic. Then again, they might have a family who loves them through thick and thin, friends, and someone who is attracted to them physically and fulfills those needs, but still, this is only the halfway point. The fractured family structure and the gossip-fueled society we live in, has truly damaged this level. TV, movies, newspapers and magazines have changed the American vision. No longer is the wife, two kids and the white picket fence the norm or the dream. At least not from what I see.
The next level is esteem. The ability to have confidence, the respect of and by others, and a feeling of achievement. Now very few people would ever say they don't have these things, but honestly, very few people exude confidence. Very few people have the respect of their peers. Many of us have jobs that pay the bills, some handsomely, but how many of us have a feeling of achievement. Does the average person go to work, come home and go to sleep feeling that everything they have done during the day was respected? Do they have a feeling of achievement? I highly doubt it. What about people in power? They seem to have less respect than any in today's world. It's a scary thought. Every day we seem to hear about a hostage crisis or a shooting spree, and we listen to experts say this and that, when the reality is that all these people really needed was someone to tell them something positive, or maybe they just needed to be loved. Many times, it's that simple.
The top level of the pyramid is self-actualization. In many ways this is a rare level. It's the recognition of one's morals, creativity, problem solving, and reaching one's needs without prejudice or hurting another. It is important to distinguish self-actualization from achievement. This is not a driving force necessarily, but a realization. Sure, there might be some people who walked all over people to fulfill their dreams, but the reality is, they know this, thus it is not self-actualization.
Sure there are problems with this model, because many might say they have reached one level, while bypassing the others, but if you really break it down, it's impossible. Can you have creativity and realize your dream as a starving artist who becomes famous, if you didn't have the love and admiration of others? Was your drive to be famous? Then possibly, you haven't reached the final stage. I'd like to say I'm somewhere in category four, although sometimes monetary problems may thrust me down to level two. There are times when I am working with kids and a parent tells me five years later that I had a positive effect on their child. I have recognized my dream, but then the reality is, that this compliment and good feeling might not be shared by all and isn't respected because I was in a can't fail situation. Who knows?
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs isn't how we measure ourselves to others, it's how we measure ourselves, period. One should be aware of their environment and try to be authentic and stress their individuality. Something that is very difficult in today's world. If you feel the need to buy a Coach bag because your neighbor has one, buying it isn't self actualization, it's making up for not having parts of the esteem level.
An interesting movie (and book) that somewhat relates to this topic is Into the Wild. A young man goes to live in the wilderness and believes he doesn't need possessions, friendship, or love to realize himself. In the beginning he's quoting Thoreau and how money, love, possessions mean nothing, and only the truth matters. In the end, in his own almost dementia inspired words, he scribbles in a notebook "Happiness only real when shared." While the movie is very Hollywood, and I didn't like the main character, the message is that when we run away from things for the sake of running away from them, we lose the ability to share experiences with people, good and bad, and grow from them.
My point in this post is that in today's world we constantly hear about fate and destiny. We hear that people get what they deserve. In our political lives right now we're hearing people say we're moving towards socialism and that people must learn and provide for themselves. My argument against these thoughts is that if one out of three of us can not attain the third level of Maslow's pyramid. How can the rest of us strive to achieve the fifth, without prejudice towards those who can not?
Comments
Post a Comment