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The Maslow Theory of Motivation

The Abraham Maslow theory of motivation proposes a hierarchy of needs, where motivation will be focused at fulfilling lower order needs before moving onto higher order needs.

The basic idea is that lower order needs, like survival and safety, must be met before you will be motivated to pursue higher order needs like love, personal development, which in turn must be met before you attempt to seek self actualization.

The Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological Needs

The most basic level of needs is the physiological level which refers to the primary requirements of the body including breathing, eating, drinking, sleeping, etc.

If these needs are not met you will not be able to function. When one or more of these needs is unfulfilled for too long, your entire focus will shift to satisfying these needs.

Safety Needs

According to the Maslow theory of motivation, once the most basic physiological needs are met, your focus will shift towards safety needs.

What it takes to feel safe will vary between individuals, but it basically comes down to a having things in place to protect you from unforeseen events.

Love and Belonging

Moving up Maslow's hierarchy we come to the need for love and belonging. We all need some sense of emotional connection with other people, whether it be through friends, lovers, family members, or other social connections.

Without a feeling of belonging or love, you'll probably become very lonely or depressed. In fact, it's possible that someone might give up some of their safety or physiological needs in order to secure the sense of belonging, at least temporarily.

Esteem and Respect

Maslow theory of motivation proposes that the next need is for esteem. It's not enough just to form emotional connections with others, we also want to feel valued and respected by others.

In doing so, we also need to develop inner levels of self esteem and self respect. We can create the self esteem and respect by creating relationships with people who are supportive and loving, and learning to provide value in return.

Self Actualization

Once all of the other needs are filled, you can start focusing on what Maslow called self actualization needs. Self actualization refers to trying to go beyond your current state and fulfilling your innate potential. It's where you would look for higher meaning in life, work to create and experience the greatest of what you are capable.

The actual form this need will take will vary from person to person. According to the Maslow theory of motivation, the need for self actualization can't be addressed until the other four needs are satisfied.

In thinking about what Maslow's hierarchy of needs means I came to the conclusion that in order to really reach fulfillment in life you really need to focus on taking care of the basics in life, beyond basic survival, setting up reliable means of income, creating satisfying relationships and connections with others, and developing a good sense of esteem and respect.

By taking care of all these basic needs, you are then free to shift your focus on finding out what you are really capable of and finding ways to maximize your potential.

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