I sure hope Maslow is wrong

There’s this guy – Maslow – who came up with a very well known ‘need theory’. According to him, we have different hierarchical levels of need. Once the lowest level is satisfied, we are no longer motivated by that level and look to tackle the next set of needs. From bottom to top, the levels of needs are: physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. You can move up the hierarchical ladder but not down. Although widely documented, this theory is not supported well by empirical data.

Well I sure as heck hope not! It is a really interesting insight to what makes us tick. But I have to disagree with how Maslow placed the order of needs. Physiological and safety needs are obviously very basic and must be met first. D’accord. But what good are belongingness and esteem without self-actualization?

Not only are misguided searches for belongingness and esteem a waste of time, but they can be detrimental and counterproductive. There are no benefits from belonging to a societal group or organization for the sake of belonging. Self-esteem will also be lacking without in depth self evaluation and actualization. There must be some sort of rite of passage before you can learn not only HOW to belong and believe in yourself, but more importantly – WHY.

Once you figure out who you want to be and how you want to achieve that, the world becomes your playground. You look at your surroundings very differently. Suddenly, you see things simply as tools to help you achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself. This view may sound plain, boring, or even WRONG, but it definitely helps you sort out and appreciate what is important to you in life.