Hierarchy of Needs
Steven Tyler
PSY/211
October 09, 2013
Paul Jordan

Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow believed that people are motivated to provide for a progression of needs. Some of the needs that Maslow stated are very basic in their nature, such as eating and sleeping. As stated before, Maslow believed that the needs of humans work in a progression; therefore, after a human’s basic needs are met, the next set of needs in the progression would be those of safety and security. After safety is achieved a person would look to explore meaningful relationships in order to fill their need for love. Once a person has fulfilled their physiological, safety and love needs, there is a need for esteem, or a feeling of accomplishment. Maslow explains that all of these needs are all precursors to self-actualization, which he describes as achieving one’s full potential. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs makes sense; this is proven on a fundamental level. Humans have needs, this is a fact. What needs are most important and what needs are least important, and why? This is a question that has been on the minds of great thinkers for ages. Maslow’s effort to answer this age old question is a valiant one. The answer makes sense because successful people generally base their success on their ability to provide for these needs, whether they are aware of the needs or not. In a modern society with all of the luxuries that some take for granted, the first set of needs are met with little effort. To eat, drink, and rest comfortably without fear, some might think are easy, but for some in underdeveloped parts of the world, these simple necessities are all they think about, all that spur any action. For others in an established society, perhaps their only motivation for action is the idea that out there is someone that is their soul-mate waiting to spend the rest of their life with. Or perhaps it is a need to progress in the status of their society, and reach a feeling of accomplishment, otherwise, why would people spend their lives searching for one person to mate with for the entirety of their lives, when it goes against man’s very nature? All of these needs are directly tied to, what Maslow refers to as, the quest for self-actualization. Reaching one’s full potential is the great motivator, all needs are related to motivation, and all action is related to motivation and the potential of self-actualization or success. Once the needs of one tier on this hierarchy scale are met, the next are set upon by man, all to achieve this idea of greatness. We eat and drink to survive, we build shelters to survive, we work to have money to pay for both, we bond with others to create meaningful relationships in order to find love and a sense of belonging, we work harder to advance in station, all to achieve this sense of fulfillment. Perhaps the most challenging of all of these needs to fulfill may be the need for belongingness and love. As stated before, people all over the world spend their entire lives looking for someone to love and procreate with, often finding what seems to be the wrong one and having to start over with all of the challenges that life creates. Having children with the wrong mate, economical hardships and spending time persuing ventures that don’t pan out are all obstacles that affect the ability to fulfill this need, not to mention all of the countless individual criteria that a person must meet to be suitable. Many people subscribe to the school of thought that one doesn’t need a lifelong mate to be happy, however, it has become a staple in modern society, so much so that the final tier of Maslow’s hierarchy often cannot be fulfilled without one. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs makes sense. Maslow explains human needs in a way that gives purpose to action and results of action. A person’s actions are always spurred by some type of motivation, the types of motivation that Maslow explains are often different but all adhere to and fit in the tier system he developed. If man is hungry, man eats. If man is sleepy, man sleeps. If man is of pubescent age, man seeks mate, and so forth. Simple and complex at the same time, the explanation remains the same.