Abraham Harold Maslow was born in1908 in Brooklyn, New York. He was the first of seven children. His parents, who were uneducated Jewish Russian immigrants, really pushed him hard for academic success. To satisfy his parents, he first studied law at the City College of New York (CCNY). After three semesters, he decided it wasn’t for him, so he began studying psychology. He received his BA in 1930, his MA in 1931, and his PhD in 1934, all in psychology.
Maslow’s most famous work is the hierarchy of needs in which he suggests that people have to fulfill their basic needs before moving on to other needs. He identifies five different levels of needs.
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| MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS |
- Physiological Needs (water, air, food and sleep)
- Security Needs (steady employment, health insurance, safe neighborhoods and shelter from the environment).
- Social Needs (sense of belonging, love and affection).
- Esteem Needs (self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition and accomplishment).
- Self-actualizing Needs (self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others and interested fulfilling their potential).
According to this hierarchy, which is often shown in a pyramid, only once the previous need is met, is it possible to move on to the next level. That explains why people in third world countries do not suffer from psychological disorders as much as people in developed countries. They are too busy trying to fulfill their basic needs.
In his quest to understand human motivation and the pursuit of happiness, Maslow formulated a list of basic human needs that had to be fulfilled for maximum psychological health. Although, some people have argued this theory, it still provides us with a portrait of all the aspects of life necessary in order to live a fulfilling life.
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