Maslow pyramide of needs: some more approaches

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology, proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation." [2] Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity. His theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, all of which focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. Maslow use the terms Physiological, Safety, Belongingness and Love, Esteem, and Self-Actualization needs to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through. Maslow studied what he called exemplary people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Frederick Douglass rather than mentally ill or neurotic people, writing that "the study of crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy." [3] Maslow studied the healthiest 1% of the college student population.[4] Maslow's theory was fully expressed in his 1954 book Motivation and Personality.[5] Note that Maslow never personally used a pyramid to describe these levels in any of his writings on the subject.

A Life Well-Lived: a Guide to Self-Actualisation

Many of us are pursuing activities that directly or indirectly we hope will take us to new levels of fulfilment. ut how can we set ourselves up to achieve fulfilment in our chosen field! and in our lives generally" #ulfilment might also $e called Self-Actualisation or e%pressing one s full potential. According to A$raham Maslow it is intrinsic growth of what is already in the organism, or more accurately, of what the organism is . &Maslow was an American psychologist whose theories have $een influential in '(th century thought.)

Maslow $elieved we have a hierarchy of needs! $eginning with &a) $asic needs for food! shelter! then &$) needs for safety and security! &c) needs for love and $elonging! &d) the need for self esteem! and &e) the need for selfactualisation. We cannot meet the higher-order needs until the lower ones are met. A hungry or fearful person will not recognise yet their need for self actualisation. *ow do we characterise Self-Actualised &SA) people"

Generally they are realistically oriented with an efficient perception of reality e%tending into all areas of their life. SA persons are

unthreatened and unfrightened $y the unknown. +hey usually have a superior a$ility to reason! to see the truth. SA people accept themselves! others and the natural world the way they are. Sees human nature as is! have rid themselves of crippling guilt or shame! en,oy themselves without regret or apology! and have no unnecessary inhi$itions. Spontaneous in their inner life! thoughts and impulses! SA people are unhampered $y convention. +heir ethics is autonomous! they are individuals! and are motivated towards continual improvement. Focus on problems outside themselves. SA people tend to have a mission in life re-uiring much energy! and their mission is their reason for e%istence. +hey are usually serene and worry-free as they pursue their mission with unshakea$le determination. Detachment! the need for privacy. Alone $ut not lonely! unflappa$le! retain dignity amid confusion and personal misfortunes! o$,ective. SA people are self starters! responsi$le for themselves! own their $ehaviour. Autonomous! independent of culture and environment. SA.s rely on inner self for satisfaction. /esilient and sta$le in the face of hard knocks! they are self contained! independent from love and respect of others. Freshness of appreciation. *ave a fresh rather than stereotyped appreciation of people and things. Moment to moment living is thrilling! transcending and spiritual. SA s live the present moment to the fullest. Peak experiences. 0#eelings of limitless hori1ons opening up to the vision! the feeling of $eing simultaneously more powerful and also more helpless than one ever was $efore! the feeling of ecstasy and wonder and awe! the loss of placement in time and space with! finally! the conviction that something e%tremely important and valua$le had happened! so that the su$,ect was to some e%tent transformed and strengthened even in his daily life $y such e%periences.0 A$raham Maslow. 2lick here for an e%ample from my own e%perience.

Eight Ways To Self Actualize

Work towards meeting and satisfying the lower-order needs &food! shelter! then safety and security! then love and $elonging! and then self esteem). 3nce you have done this! and 4 acknowledge that it may $e difficult and timeconsuming! you will $e a$le to make progress with the following: 5%perience things fully! vividly! selflessly. +hrow yourself into the e%periencing of something: concentrate on it fully! let it totally a$sor$ you. 11 Life is a moment-$y-moment choice $etween safety &out of fear and need for defence) and risk &for the sake of progress and growth): 2onsciously make the growth choice many times a day. 11 Let your true self emerge. +ry to go $eyond socially-defined modes of thinking and feeling! let your inner e%perience tell you what you truly feel.
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When in dou$t! $e honest. 4t may take some courage! $ut look honestly at yourself and take responsi$ility for who you are and what happens to you. Self-delusion is the enemy of self-actualisation. Listen to your own tastes. e prepared to $e unpopular if necessary. 6se your intelligence! work to do well the things you want to do! no matter how insignificant they seem. Make peak e%periencing more likely: get rid of illusions and false notions. Learn what you are good at and conversely what you are not good at. 7now thyself. Who are you! what are you! what is good and what is $ad for you! where you are going! what is your mission" 3pening yourself up to yourself in this way means recogni1ing one s defenses-and then finding the courage to give them up.

Good luck! 8avid +uffley http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/~davidt/purpose.htm