Reaction Paper on “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”

All individuals have their needs, which they strive to satisfy in order to
survive. There are some aspects where people have different level of needs but
also have same level of needs. It is beyond just food, water, and shelter, which
are the basics, it also includes physical and non-physical elements needed for
human growth and development. Abraham Maslow had come to formulate a
hierarchical structure of all the needs that a man must acquire in order to be
considered as fulfilled or self-actualized. Through this theory, we are able to
identify the most basic human needs.

Maslow’s original Hierarchy of Needs consists of five stages or levels of

needs that are listed in an ascending order. Basic needs to be at the very
bottom, which is the physiological needs. Maslow considered these needs to be
very basic and an essential for every human being. The next level of needs was
the safety needs which encompass both financial and personal security as well
as health and well-being of an individual. As the pyramid advances, there are
other greater needs. As soon as both the physiological and safety needs are
somewhat satisfied, a person starts looking for love and affection and
belongingness needs. He/she may now start looking for someone to share love
with, in the form of friends, family members, wife or husband. Self-esteem
needs are another one listed in hierarchy of needs theory. It is a very important
part of need as well as of motivation, because the lack of it can cause
helplessness in people. Lastly is the self-actualization. According to Maslow,
self-actualization is defined as the desire to becoming the best person that one
can possibly strive for. This theory states that human needs cannot be satisfied
and that lower needs are needs to be addressed before higher needs.

In my perspective, it is somewhat stating that the lower and more basic

need that is fulfilled is the tool of achieving the next level of need in the
hierarchy. However, Maslow’s theory also makes me think to another need.
And it is, the spiritual need. I wondered in which hierarchy this need belongs
to. As a human, I really need this spiritual thing. I am not such a religious
person, but I do need to think and feel of God. It is like the food of my soul, it
fulfills my sanity and makes me complete. That is why I said that this kind of
need is important. Although I also realize that maybe some people do not care
about this spiritual thing. However, as what I had mentioned earlier, the needs
of every single person are different, thus the spiritual needs could become a
consideration. And still, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is indeed imperative, it
illuminates the most important and the least important needs of human
beings.