MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Our Needs 

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs outlines his theory of 5 basic needs. We all have requirements. As human beings, we rely on our resources and our environment. Learn to recognize that our needs are the things we cannot live without. The things we want are not the same as the things we require.

Some of the things we require daily include shelter to protect us from the elements, food to keep us healthy, water to keep us hydrated, and clothing to keep us warm and covered. We also require the support of our family and friends.

Needs motivate us – inborn, basic needs that have evolved over thousands of years.

The levels he described express these needs and their hierarchical transcendence order. The requirements are listed according to importance (Reitan, 2013):

1. Physiological needs are represented by hunger, thirst, air, and sleep.
2. Safety needs reflect the needs for security and protection; (Note that safety needs become prominent in social or political instability situations.)
3. The need for belongingness and love. Furthermore, these needs can take two forms: (a) The drive to fulfill deficiency-based needs for others selfishly by taking instead of giving, and (b) The need for non-possessive and unselfish love based upon growth rather than deficiency.
4. The next level is described by the self-esteem needs. In other words, they are the needs for self-respect and positive feelings consequent to admiration. 
5. The final self-actualization stage is reflected by the “being” need. These needs are indicated by the conditions for creative self-development in terms of one’s potential toward a goal and a sense of meaning in life.