Maslows Hierarchy of Needs - Essay Example

There is certainly no shortage of examples in today’s world of self-interested and excessive behaviors. Society is no stranger to actions motivated by the desire for money, power, fame, and security. There would scarcely be an individual today that could not attest to being influenced in their decision-making without contemplation of the aforementioned. It would also certainly be naive to say that these motivators are independent of another acting force, namely self-interest. The harmful repercussions, whether on an individual, communal, or governmental level, can all be attributed to some form of self-interest. For an individual to position him or herself on a level where they can put the interest of others above their own, one has to metaphorically climb Abraham Maslow's hierarchy to the top.

Abraham Maslow was a humanist thinker, focusing on the personal choice of human beings and their potential to do good, rather than the pessimistic approach many psychologists in the 1950s were taking. In most cases during that time period, behaviorism and psychoanalysis looked at the flaws of the human mind, whereas humanism focused on strengthening the innate good in man. Maslow was one of the pioneers of this movement, and in particular, his theories involving self-actualization and motivation are applicable to the problems of self-interest that society faces today.

Maslow broke ground by answering an age-old question – what drives human behavior? In his 1943 paper titled “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Maslow explained that people function according to a hierarchy of needs and are motivated to fulfill more basic needs before moving on to more advanced ones (McLeod para. 4). The needs at bottom of the tier are basic physical requirements such as food, water, sleep, and warmth. Once these basic needs have been met, one can progress to the next level of needs, which are safety and security. As one advance to the higher tiers, the needs become more psychological and social. Fulfilling the need for love, friendship, and intimacy, we arrive at the underlying motivation of altruistic behavior, self-actualization (McLeod para. 5-6). Self-actualization encompasses a wide range of behavioral symptoms, and can certainly include self-centered behavior.  At its core, however, lies the abandonment of pure self-interest behavior, replaced with that of selflessness.

Self-actualization can be identified through three key characteristics. Firstly, self-actualized people have realistic views of current problems and the world around them. They are able to identify the key issues affecting society. Secondly, they are concerned with solving problems that exist outside of their individual issues, extending even to outside their community. Finally, self-actualized people have an appreciation for life and the world around them. They are able to experience life with a sense of appreciation and awe. They find themselves inspired by the people around them and find pleasure in human nature (Cherry para. 3).

Maslow claimed that every human is on a quest to reach the top tier of the hierarchy. He said, “All the evidence that we have indicates that it is reasonable to assume in practically every human being...an impulse towards growth, or towards the actualization” (Abraham Maslow 2013). Based on the key characteristics of self-actualization, one can clearly see that it promotes not only selflessness but also an active desire to seek solutions to problems that exist in society. In a utopian society, hypothetically speaking, each citizen has reached a point of self-actualization that has embraced all of the characteristics mentioned.  As such, it would be hard to argue that the problems of excessive violence, war, health care issues, environmental destruction, and general narcissistic behavior would be prevalent. It seems all of these contributing problems are linked directly to a self-centered decision-making process, lacking appreciation of life, altruistic actions, and identification of social problems.

The solution to problems of this scale is anything but simple. To even confine them to a table of needs does not do it justice. However, it certainly is an indication as to why humans are self-centered beings, focusing on their security, comfort, and survivability in the lower tiers as opposed to the social nature of the top tier. No simple solution exists as to how we can 'move up' to the top tier, but the hierarchy is self-explanatory in suggesting we fulfill one level at a time. That is why humanitarian and philanthropic work is so important to the progression of our society – giving others the chance to experience this tier. Once at the top, as Maslow himself states, “ Life is an ongoing process of choosing between safety (out of fear and need for defense) and risk (for the sake of progress and growth). Make the growth choice a dozen times a day” (Abraham Maslow 2013).