Maslows hierarchy of needs examples in real life
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“Help! My needs aren’t being met!”Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a fundamental theory in psychology, but it’s of more than just abstract interest. This theory – invented by Abraham Maslow in 1943 – could be useful
for your everyday life. The idea is that our needs range from the very basic, such as the things required for our survival, through to higher goals such as altruism and spirituality. The hierarchy is often presented as a pyramid; if the needs at the base of the pyramid aren’t met, then achieving the higher-level goals is extremely difficult. To put it more bluntly, if you’re starving, or without shelter, it’s much harder (though not impossible) to keep in touch with your higher-level needs, such
as preserving the respect of your peers. As the Snickers advert says, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” The Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs1. Physiological needsIf you didn’t do these things, you would die.The most basic level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs covers physiological needs. These are the
things that we simply cannot live without: air, food, drink, warmth, sleep and shelter. At this end of the hierarchy, all the needs are ‘deficiency needs’. We need them because when they are deficient, it’s unpleasant for us. At the top end of the hierarchy, there are ‘growth needs’ – we don’t need them because we’re lacking in something, but instead in order to grow as individuals. 2. Safety needsAnything that makes you feel unsafe means this need is not met.Safety needs come just behind physiological needs, as they also relate to our basic health and well-being. This is about physical safety, such as protection from violence, but also about financial security, freedom from accidents, and the security of easily accessible healthcare. More generally, having your safety needs met means that you aren’t regularly afraid of
anything: you’re not afraid of having a debilitating accident or contracting a dangerous disease, of getting into financial difficulties, or of being physically attacked. But having this need met isn’t just about living in a safe country with good social norms. Workplace or schoolyard bullying, for instance, can mean that your safety needs are not met. 3. Social belongingSo powerful, it can even help you ignore unmet lesser needs.An updated version of this need has been described as ‘belongingness and love’, which perhaps addresses its
scope more accurately. We need friendships, family connections and emotional intimacy with others. Different people in different societies meet this need in different ways: for some people, their need for social belonging might be met entirely within their extended family; for others, it might be organised activities such as a church community; for others, it might be a network of friendships and romantic relationships that meet this need. Feelings of adequacy, regardless of their source, meet this need. |