Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

What is it? Imagine yourself in your second period class. The student next to you is restless for awhile. He sighs and yawns frequently and he has a hard time focusing and paying attention. You're quite interested since the topic gets everyone talking and laughing. You notice the student now has his head down on the desk and eventually falls asleep. You realize this pattern of falling asleep in class has happened a few times over the past few weeks.

This is what you don't know about this student. He decided to work extra shifts at his part-time job and last night, he didn't get home until after midnight. He had an assignment due today and ended up staying up for another couple of hours to finish it. He woke up late and came to school on an empty stomach. Since he deprived himself of adequate sleep and food, his ability to learn becomes more difficult.

The student falling asleep during class highlights what happens when needs are unsatisfied or unmet.

What was he thinking? A psychologist by the name of Abraham Maslow introduced a personality theory many years ago to explain how humans are motivated to ensure their needs are satisfied. He also proposed that human needs are generally satisfied in a predetermined order.

What was the order?

Maslow’s Pyramid

Our sleeping student has unsatisfied needs at the lowest level of this hierarchy. This lowest level represents the physical or survival needs.

Exceptions When Maslow developed his theory it was not his intention that this hierarchy applies all the time. He realized that there were numerous exceptions to this general tendency.

Ghandi For example, the Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, frequently sacrificed his physical and safety needs for the satisfaction of other needs when India was striving for independence from Great Britain. In his historic fasts, Gandhi went for weeks without nourishment to peacefully protest government injustices. He was operating at the self-actualization level while his lower levels of needs were unsatisfied.

Motivation Motivation is central to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. If your stomach is growling, what are you motivated to do? If you are sitting in a room feeling very cold, what would you say or do? If you are really thirsty, what would you do?

Both your body and mind can motivate you to take certain action to satisfy the needs at any of the five levels. When lower level needs are satisfied, you are content and can consider meeting another level of needs. When needs are unsatisfied, physical and emotional responses are triggered that serve as warning signs.

For Example: A lack of sleep may result in the responses of restlessness, inability to concentrate, tiredness, forgetfulness, and/or irritability. Have you ever noticed when you're really tired, you have less patience and can get upset more easily?

What does it mean to be a self-actualizer Strong self-knowledge which allows for further growth; Accepting of self and others; Problem-solver; Concern about the injustice and suffering in the world; Finding one's vocation in life Having strong interpersonal skills; Open to the ideas of others and accepting facts; Having a sense of mission in life; Viewing life as a journey (goal-oriented and purposeful); Valuing solitude (having time to be alone for personal discovery and well-being);