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London, Leicester and Kerala
I am a Medical Doctor, born and brought up in Kerala, settled in England for last 27 years. Interested in almost any and every field under the sun. I believe in 'Simple living and simple thinking'and try to follow this principle in life...This is a snapshot of what I wish to write; but many of the things I want to write are still under the iceberg! Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu

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Friday 25 July 2008

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

I was discussing recently a few points about 'Maslow's hierarchy of needs' with Manoj and thought will share some details here. This blog is dedicated to Manoj

Abraham Maslow developed the Hierarchy of Needs model in 1940-50's USA, and the Hierarchy of Needs theory remains valid today for understanding human motivation, management training, and personal development. Maslow's original five-stage Hierarchy of Needs model is clearly and directly attributable to Maslow; later versions with added motivational stages are not so clearly attributable. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs has been extended through interpretation of Maslow's work by other people, and these augmented models and diagrams are shown as the adapted seven and eight-stage Hierarchy of Needs models below. There is some uncertainty as to how and when these additional three stages (six, seventh and eighth - 'Cognitive', 'Aesthetic', and 'Transcendence') came to be added, and by whom, to the Hierarchy of Needs model, and many people consider Maslow's 'original' five-stage Hierarchy Of Needs model to be the definitive (and perfectly adequate)

Maslow's original hierarchy of needs:

1. Biological and Physiological needs- air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.
2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.
3. Belongingness and Love needs - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.
4. Esteem needs- self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.
5. Self-Actualization needs - realising personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences


Each of us is motivated by needs. Our most basic needs are inborn, having evolved over tens of thousands of years. Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs helps to explain how these needs motivate us all

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs states that we must satisfy each need in turn, starting with the first, which deals with the most obvious needs for survival itself. Only when the lower order needs of physical and emotional well-being are satisfied are we concerned with the higher order needs of influence and personal development.Conversely, if the things that satisfy our lower order needs are swept away, we are no longer concerned about the maintenance of our higher order needs.

Maslow's original Hierarchy of Needs model was developed between 1943-1954, and first widely published in Motivation and Personality in 1954. At this time the Hierarchy of Needs model comprised five needs. This original version remains for most people the definitive Hierarchy of Needs. 3 more were added later i.e

6. Aesthetic needs- appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc
7. Self-Actualization needs - realising personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
8. Transcendence needs- helping others to achieve self actualization.

Some critics of this theory say that the hierarchy of needs is nothing more than a fool's daydream and that there is no possible way to classify ever-changing needs as society changes...

Do I believe in this theory?

Well, life and 'theories about life' are different. Everyone at the end of the day is striving and struggling for basic amenities of life like food, shelter etc. But there are a lot of people who render their services without thinking about themselves. Working selflessly for others.....It is not necessary that people would or should or could go only step by step up this pyramid. Yes this theory would be almost right in some circumstances like the business world or marketing world. A person might not perform well if he has a difficult family life or he has problems with friends...

But history (especially in the east) is full of examples with men and women who has attained level 4/5 without going through the lower levels..Infact in the dharmic religions (ie hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism) god is perceived as residing in the heart of others and serving other people is considered an essential devotional practice (Seva), with out thinking about self or attaining basic levels.......

I think we all should be trying to reach the self actualization stage if possible, but it doesn't matter you follow this pyramid or not....


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