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Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

In the mid 19th century, the psychologist Abraham Maslow put forward a theory of human needs and motivation, in which he suggested that people have different levels of needs.

In the most advanced version of his theory, Maslow argued that there are a number of categories of basic needs ("Deficiency Needs") and also a number of categories of higher order needs ("Growth Needs") relating to personal growth and development. The types of needs are as follows:

Deficiency Needs

Phsyiological needs - basic biological needs, such as the need for oxygen, water, food. Also the need for sleep, sexual needs and the need to avoid pain.

Safety and Security Needs - the need for security, stability, protection from harm, perhaps also the need for a stable job or income and a home.

Love and Belonging Needs - the need for relationships of different kinds: family, friends, romance, community.

Esteem Needs - the need to have the respect of others and the need for self respect, self confidence, independence and freedom.

Growth Needs

The Need to Know and Understand - the need to gain knowledge and understand the world and one's environment.

Aesthetic Needs - the need for symmetry, balance and beauty.

Self-Actualization Needs - the need to achieve one's potential and find fulfilment.

Transcendence - the need to connect to something beyond the ego or to help others find fulfilment and realize their potential.

Using Maslow's Hiearachy of Needs for Self-Help

As with many of other theories, you don't necessarily have to agree with them completely or see them as perfect reflections of the truth in order to be able to make use of them or find them helpful.

It is possible to use Maslow's classification as an impetus to reflect on the types of needs that you have and how they balance with each other. Below are some questions you may like to reflect on in relation to Maslow's suggested categories:

1. Which category of needs do you most want to meet better in your life now?

2. What will be the potential impact on other categoires of needs from you doing so?

3. What sort of balance do you want to achieve between the different categories of needs? To what degree do you want to shift your current priorities?

4. What would be the potential consequences of shifting your priorities?

Once you have reflected on the four questions above, set yourself some specific goals or actions to carry out towards meeting better the needs that you want to focus on now. In setting your goals or actions if helpful, remind yourself of the principles of that you can find at: Goal Setting.

 

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