Maslows Hierarchy of Needs - Essay Example

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs People have diverse needs which are manifested in many forms. Abraham H. Maslow has placed human needs in a hierarchy of relative prepotency as revealed in the Deeper Mind website (Deeper Mind). He identified five specific and distinct needs classified as: physiological needs (food, sleep, stimulation, activity); safety and security needs (protection from harm); love and belongingness needs (love, friendship, comradeship); esteem needs (self-respect, personal worth and autonomy); and self-actualization needs (achieving full potential) (Deeper Mind 1). In this regard, the essay is hereby written with the objective of addressing the following concerns: (1) to describe each of the levels of need and to determine what level one is presently in. Likewise, the discourse would identify what one had to go through to get to this level; meaning, what challenges were overcome and what were the successes and failures that one met along the way; (2) to present what level would one envisions to achieve and why; and (3) to explain what self-actualization is and how one would know if self-actualization was achieved. In addition, what would be different for one’s personal experience and perspective in terms of self-actualization would be evaluated and revealed. Description of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs According to Maslow, there are lower-order and higher-order needs. The lower-order needs are prepotent in the sense that they highly determine behavior until they are satisfied. Once satisfied, they cease to act as motivators. That is when the higher-order needs are activated and they in turn, organize behavior until they too, are gratified. Maslow identified five basic human needs and arranged them in ascending order as follows: (1) physiological needs are the basic needs for survival, such as food, water, sleep, and air; (2) safety and security needs are needs to be free from physical and psychological harm, threat and deprivation; (3) love and belongingness needs are needs for affection and affiliation, as well as the need to belong; (4) esteem and status needs are the desires for self-respect, or self-esteem, and for the esteem of others. These include the desires for achievement, confidence, independence, and freedom; as well as reputation, prestige, recognition, attention, importance and appreciation; and finally, (5) self-actualization or self-fulfillment needs are desires to realize one’s potential, to become everything that one is capable of becoming. From the description, one could assess that the current level of needs that one tries to satisfy are the lower-level needs: physiological, safety and security, as well as love and belongingness needs. As I am still pursuing advanced academic pursuits for both personal and professional growth, I admit that physiological needs are still currently being addressed, especially the need to continuously support and sustain means for daily survival: food, clothing and shelter, among others. Concurrently, the needs for safety and security are on the next level that has been deemed crucial to engage in daily activities. I want to be ensured that I am kept safe and secure in the environments that I regularly go through and in the place where I currently reside. Further, I acknowledge the importance of love and belongingness in terms of the assistance provided in giving different kinds of support needed for daily sustenance. The love and warmth provided by family and friends are needed as physical, emotional and psychological support, as well as providing inspiration and the motivation to pursue future goals. To be able to achieve one level to the other, I have to go through diverse challenges in terms of seeking alternative sources of income to support and sustain basic physiological and educational needs. To ensure that I continue living in a safe and secure environment and go through daily tasks without threat, I have tried to select a good living environment where work education and work opportunities are nearby. Further, challenges in terms of relationships are normal and peer group pressures and conflicts sometimes occur. To address these, I learn to apply communication, negotiation and problem-solving skills to assist in achieving smooth interpersonal relationships with family members and friends. Level to Achieve One envisions achieving the higher-order levels: esteem and status, as well as self-actualization needs. I believe in what Maslow contended that once the lower level needs have been achieved, that satisfied need seizes to be a motivator. As one need is satisfied, another need emerges. Therefore, since the lower level needs, especially basic needs are partially satisfied, one is on the path towards achieving esteem and status needs (either through academic performance or through work-related responsibilities) and eventually, aim to achieve self-actualization needs where I dream to realize what I aspire to achieve in life. Self-Actualization Information from the Deeper Mind website indicates that “self actualization is defined as a basic force which drives the person forward and onwards” (Deeper Mind, par. 17). Furthermore, the term was expounded as “Maslow also called self actualization need growth motivation or being needs (B-Needs) in contrast to deficit motivation (D-Needs). Maslow suggested that only two percent of the people in the world achieve self actualization” (Deeper Mind, par. 18). Personally, I believe that one would know if self-actualization needs are achieved when the sense of fulfillment is recognized as complete and there is actually a realization of euphoria. It is when lifelong dreams and aspirations have been effectively and successfully achieved and even surpassed to the point that the person has really nothing to ask more. For me, this is the same definition and expectation I have for achieving the higher-level need of self-actualization. I think, aside from achieving what I have dreamed of in terms of professional success, self-actualization also means having established a peaceful and fulfilling relationship with others. Only when a person is happy and at peace with oneself, in relationship with others, would self-actualization really be achieved. Conclusion The essay has successfully achieved its objective of addressing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs through briefly describing the lower-level and higher-level needs and evaluating them as applicable to one’s personal perspective. Finally, the concept of self-actualization was explained and evaluated through diverse points of views. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs exemplify the idea of needs satisfaction providing a natural starting point in understanding human motivation. The identification of human need patterns provide a basis for decision making where promoters could structure a conducive environment that is consistent with the achievement of needs. Works Cited Deeper Mind. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. 15 August 2009. 31 July 2011 . Read More