The Hierarchy of Needs

Written By Colēgia

As human beings, we have a plethora of different needs and each of them range depending on their importance. Today we want to cover an important psychology topic known as Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

What is it?

Originally coined by Abraham Maslow in an effort to study human motivation, the hierarchy of needs is a concept that has been around since 1943. Given the recent efforts in developmental psychology, this concept specifically breaks down all of the things that motivate people both intrinsically and extrinsically. This matters immensely as it can help us understand what we require on a basic level along with what can help us reach our maximum potential.

“this concept specifically breaks down all of the things that motivate people both intrinsically and extrinsically.”

Physiological Needs

These types of needs are some of the most basic and required for us to function. These include things such as food, water, shelter, and sleep. Each of these is related to our bodies and maintaining them in a healthy manner. These are arguably some of the most important and in some instances, we may neglect them such as not sleeping as much. Making time to keep ourselves healthy is the foundation for the pyramid.

“These types of needs are some of the most basic and required for us to function.”

Safety Needs

Once we move past our basic needs, we have to think about our safety-related needs. Similar to the shelter requirement above, something such as having a stable home or employment also ties into this. Stress from lack of job stability or frustrations within your home life are two common examples of a safety need being unfulfilled. Everyone deserves some form of personal security which is why it’s important to address this sooner rather than later.

“Similar to the shelter requirement above, something such as having a stable home or employment also ties into this.”

Love And Belonging Needs

Having a personal sense of connection is vital because we are inherently social. Finding a group of people to bond with is essential for this part of the pyramid and many of us value having this type of closeness with others. Life is much better with good friends and people you care about on your side and establishing these bonds can help you immensely.

“Having a personal sense of connection is vital because we are inherently social.”

Esteem Needs

Once we find this sense of love and belonging, we have to consider our own self-esteem. This is crucial as having positive self-esteem can empower us to make better decisions for ourselves and the world around us. Having personal freedom along with respect both from yourself and your peers is something that many of us require.

“Once we find this sense of love and belonging, we have to consider our own self-esteem.”

Self-actualization Needs

Lastly, there is self-actualization. This is arguably one of the most complicated aspects of the pyramid as it is the one that is most personal. This revolves around the idea of being your best possible self and finding the desire to do so. This requires motivation from all the prior needs to do and is something that we may subconsciously be thinking about even when trying to ensure the other parts of our lives are good. One of the best examples we hear in modern culture is “what do you want to be when you grow up?” While our career doesn't inherently determine our self-worth or our passions necessarily, it is one of the many areas we can consider when it comes to achieving self-actualization. Finding the harmony between these can take time but it is something that is ultimately worth doing for your personal well-being.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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The Philosophy of Metacognition