MASLOW’S HIERARCHY of NEEDS

Maslow's Hierarchy

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REFERENCE
ELEPHANT/RIDER MODEL
- 1 Elephant/Rider Model
- 2 The Elephant…
  - 2.1 Training the Elephant
  - 2.2 Retraining the Elephant
  - 2.3 Feeding the Elephant
  - 2.4 Bias in the Elephant
- 3 The Rider…
  - 3.1 When the Rider Leads!
  - 3.2 Rider Modes
    - 3.2.1 Observing Self
    - 3.2.2 Processor Self
    - 3.2.3 The Inner Lawyer
  - 3.3 Bias in the Rider
- 4 Psychological Skills…
  - 4.1 #1 Psychological Skill
    - 4.1.1 Why Sitting Quietly
    - 4.1.2 Why SQ Works
    - 4.1.3 Ways to Engage SQ
  - 4.2 Self-Awareness
    - 4.2.1 The Observing Self
    - 4.2.2 Defusion
  - 4.3 Self-Regulation
    - 4.3.1 Step Back
    - 4.3.2 Acceptance
    - 4.3.5 Self-Talk
    - 4.3.7 Critical Thinking Skills
  - 4.4 CBT in the ERM
    - 4.4.1 Using CBT
  - 4.5 Workability
  - 4.6 Effective Criticism
  - 4.7 Appeal to the Elephant
- 5 Awakening…
  - 5.1 Conditioning
  - 5.2 Ignorance
    - 5.2.1 More on Ignorance
  - 5.3 Delusion
    - 5.3.1 The Elephant Duped
    - 5.3.2 A Dichotomy Disorder…
    - 5.3.3 The Wrath…
    - 5.3.4 Types of Delusion
SITTING QUIETLY
- Sitting Quietly
- 1 Self-Care…
  - 1.1 On Being…
  - 1.2 On Well-Being…
  - 1.3 On the Big Rocks…
  - 1.4 On Integrity
  - 1.5 Your North Star
- 2 Relaxation…
  - 2.1 Abdominal Breathing
  - 2.2 Box Breathing
  - 2.3 Relaxation Response
  - 2.4 A Calming Intervention
  - 2.5 Muscle Relaxation
- 3 The Observing Self…
  - 3.1 Using CBT
- 4 Defusion…
  - 4.1 …With Thoughts
  - 4.2 Getting Rid Of…
  - 4.3 …With Feelings
  - 4.4 …With Difficult Feelings
  - 4.5 …When Distressed
- 5 Acceptance
  - 5.1 Acceptance 101
LIFE PRACTICES
- Life Practices…
- 1 Self-Care
- 2 Well Being
- 3 Sitting Quietly
- 4 Personal Growth
  - 4.1 Awakening
  - 4.2 The Examined Life
  - 4.3 Goal Setting
- 5 The Habit of Discovery
- 6 Altruism (“Their-Care”)
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
- Change the World…
  - – The Captain
  - – The Subway
- Introduction to CBT
- Using CBT
- CBT Basic Concepts…
  - – Thoughts vs Feelings
  - – Core Beliefs & Conditioning
  - – Why We Learn
  - – Psychological Skills
- Defense Mechanisms
- Common Distortions
- Automatic Thoughts (ATs)
  - – Questioning ATs
  - – Examples of ATs
- Disputation Strategies
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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

In his influential paper of 1943, A Theory of Human Motivation, the psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed that healthy human beings have a certain number of needs, and that these needs can be arranged in a hierarchy, with some needs (such as physiological and safety needs) being more primitive or basic than others (such as social and ego needs).

Maslow’s so-called ‘hierarchy of needs’ is often presented as a five-level pyramid (pictured below), with higher needs coming into focus only once lower, more basic needs have been met.

Maslow called the bottom four levels of the pyramid ‘deficiency needs’ because we do not feel anything if they are met but become anxious or distressed if they are not. Thus, physiological needs such as eating, drinking, and sleeping are deficiency needs, as are safety needs, social needs such as friendship and sexual intimacy, and ego needs such as self-esteem and recognition.

On the other hand, Maslow called the fifth, top level of the pyramid a ‘growth need’ because our need to self-actualize obliges us to go beyond our individual, limited selves and fulfill our true potential as human beings.

About Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs CLOSE

The Hierarchy ("going up")

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- PHYSICAL NEEDS -

Maslow's physical needs, the base of his hierarchy, are the essential requirements for human survival, including air (oxygen), food, water, shelter, warmth, clothing, sleep, and sex (for species survival); these biological necessities must be met first before individuals can focus on higher-level needs like safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization.

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Examples of Physical Needs:

- Breathing (Oxygen): The most immediate necessity for life.
- Food & Water: Essential for bodily function and energy.
- Shelter & Warmth: Protection from the elements and maintaining body temperature.
- Clothing: For warmth and protection.
- Sleep: Necessary for physical and mental restoration.
- Elimination: Bodily waste removal.
- Sex: Important for the survival and continuation of the human species.

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- SAFETY & SECURITY -

Maslow's Safety & Security Needs are the second level in his hierarchy, focusing on the human desire for order, predictability, and control in life, encompassing personal security, financial stability, health, and a stable environment free from fear or harm. These needs, including job security, resources, physical safety (shelter, protection), morality, and well-being, must be met after basic physiological needs (food, water) before higher needs (love, esteem) can be pursued

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Aspects of safety needs:

- Physical Security: Protection from violence, accidents, natural disasters, and a stable home.
- Financial Security: Stable income, resources, and job security to cover expenses and feel independent.
- Health & Well-being: Access to healthcare, healthy living, and freedom from illness.
- Order & Predictability: A structured environment, like routines for children, that reduces anxiety and fear.
- Emotional Security: Feeling safe from emotional abuse or threatening situations, notes this article from Modern Campus.

SAFETY & SECURITY CLOSE

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- LOVE & BELONGING -

Maslow's love and belonging needs are the third level in his hierarchy, focusing on our fundamental desire for emotional connection, acceptance, and a sense of belonging through relationships like family, friends, romantic partnerships, and social groups, involving both giving and receiving love to avoid loneliness and depression

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Key Components

- Friendship: Building connections based on shared interests and mutual support.
- Family: Strong bonds with relatives, offering a primary source of belonging.
- Intimacy: Deep emotional closeness, often in romantic relationships.
- Acceptance: Feeling valued and included by others.
- Group Affiliation: Belonging to communities, clubs, or teams.

Why They Matter

- Motivation: Once physiological (food, water) and safety (security) needs are met, humans are motivated to find these social connections.
- Well-being: Fulfilling these needs leads to greater happiness, self-esteem, and resilience.
- Consequences of Lack: Unmet needs in this area can cause feelings of loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and depression.

In essence, these needs highlight our social nature, driving us to form meaningful bonds and feel part of something larger than ourselves for healthy emotional development.

LOVE & BELONGING CLOSE

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- SELF-ESTEEM -

Maslow's esteem needs are the fourth level in his hierarchy, focusing on the human desire for self-worth, accomplishment, and respect from others, divided into two types: self-esteem (internal, like competence, independence, mastery) and respect from others(external, like status, prestige, recognition). Fulfilling these needs leads to feelings of confidence and value, while unmet needs can cause inferiority and incompetence.

Two Types of Esteem Needs

Lower Esteem Needs (Respect from Others):
- - The need for status, prestige, fame, and recognition.
  - Appreciation and attention from others.
  - Achieved through success, acknowledgment, and social standing.
Higher Esteem Needs (Self-Esteem):
- - A desire for inner feelings of worth, strength, and competence.
  - Includes independence, achievement, mastery, and dignity.
  - Fostered by fulfilling the lower esteem needs and personal growth.

Importance in the Hierarchy

- These needs emerge after physiological, safety, and love/belonging needs are met.
- Satisfying them builds confidence, competence, and a sense of making a valuable contribution.
- When unmet, people feel inferior, helpless, and lack self-confidence, hindering their path to self-actualization.

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- SELF-ACTUALIZAION -

According to Maslow, self-actualization needs are the highest level in his hierarchy, representing the desire to become the most that one can be, fulfilling one's unique potential, and finding personal meaning and self-fulfillment, such as a musician needing to make music or an artist needing to paint, only after more basic needs (physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem) are met.

What it means:

Fulfilling Potential: It's about realizing your full capabilities and "becoming everything that one is capable of being".
Personal Growth: A continuous process of self-discovery, creativity, and developing talents.
Meaning & Purpose: Seeking intrinsic meaning and pursuing goals aligned with your true self, rather than external rewards or status.
"Being Needs": These are "B-needs" (Being needs) rather than "D-needs" (Deficiency needs), focusing on growth and self-actualization rather than lack.

Examples of Self-Actualization:

A scientist dedicating their life to research purely for passion.
An artist creating for the joy of expression, not fame.
Someone striving to be the best parent, athlete, or inventor they can be.

Key Characteristics of Self-Actualized People:

Acceptance and realism about self and others.
Spontaneity, simplicity, and naturalness.
Problem-centered (focused on tasks outside themselves).
A need for privacy and independence.
Appreciation of life's basic goods (Peak Experiences).
Deep, meaningful relationships.
A democratic character structure.

In essence, self-actualization is the drive to be your most authentic, fulfilled self, utilizing your unique talents and finding purpose in life, a journey that begins only after fundamental needs are satisfied.

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