Maslow's Hierarchy of Wants and Needs

Perhaps no other psychological theory has affected the public mind as much as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Wants and Needs.

Abraham Maslow came up with this theory in the 1940s as a way to organize ideas about how humans are motivated. His hierarchy has been used in psychology, sociology, and management, providing a framework for what makes people tick. And tock. Usually, it's shown in a pyramid-shaped image with basic needs at the bottom, and higher-level motivating factors at the top.

The pyramid shape isn’t like our food pyramid, reflecting the amounts of things we need. Instead, think of Maslow’s hierarchy as a pyramid that’s meant to be climbed. Maslow’s original theory was that a person must be satisfied with the factors at one level within themselves before they could be motivated by factors at the next level.

More modern interpretations show the five levels as overlapping, implying that lower levels might be prioritized again down the road, even if someone is higher up on the pyramid in general.

We’re going to talk about Bob’s journey through Maslow’s theory. Bob could be you, your mom, your friend, or that stranger you just passed on the street. Deep inside, everyone is Bob.

At the base of the pyramid, we’ve got “physiological needs,” which include things like food, water, rest, HBO, and the ability to live in the environment in general. Here, the idea is that it’s hard to motivate Bob with something like "prestige" when he’s too busy trying to meet basic physiological needs so that he can stay alive. Bob’s got bigger things to worry about right now if he’s homeless, foodless, and pantless.

Once Bob’s got the basics of staying alive down, he can move up to the “safety” motivation level, which says Bob can then be motivated by things that give him security (think: physical safety, financial security, health). It makes sense that once Bob’s got his food, water, and things he needs to live, he’ll seek out security so that he can keep those things under lock, and keep living. Basic mortality avoidance.

At this point, Bob’s fed, rested, and not stressing out too much, because his survival instincts took a chill pill thanks to his safety measures: a good job, place to live, and maybe wearing a bike helmet occasionally. And pants...don’t forget the pants.

Finally, Bob can start looking outward into the world. The third level of the hierarchy is “love and belonging”: the human need for closeness with others.

In other words: nothing will motivate Bob more at this point than making friends and taking the single’s bar by storm. Bob makes friends at work and manages to snag a girlfriend. Nice work, Bob.

Bob’s now capable of being motivated by things at level four: his “self-esteem.” Bob will be motivated by things that give him confidence and a sense of accomplishment. For Bob, maybe a nice car makes him feel confident. Or maybe Bob doesn’t care for a nice car, but he’s really into his career, working his way up the corporate ladder. Whatever Bob’s values are, he can be motivated by things that fulfill them.

Now that Bob’s taken care of his basic needs and his psychological needs, he has time to focus on himself again...but in a “higher” way. At the top of the pyramid (the “big boss” of the video game that is Bob’s life) we’ve got “self-actualization.” Self-actualization is when Bob fulfills his utmost potential. If Bob is motivated at this level, it means Bob wants to be the best Bob he can be. For Bob, this might have to do with fulfilling creative passions, using his talents, finding a life partner, and raising tiny-Bobs.

After publishing his theory, Maslow later criticized his own initial description of “self-actualization,” and changed it to be more like becoming “enlightened.” This would mean Bob thinks about the meaning of life, spirituality, morality, the universe, and sees prejudice for what it is: a fear-based, ego-boosting, mean-thing. Bob becomes a true wise guy.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Wants and Needs does have its fair share of critics. For instance, some believe that people can be motivated by needs and wants higher up on the pyramid even if they haven’t satisfied all the ones on the bottom first.

Others have pointed out that Maslow only studied “healthy specimens,” and not the population at large, so there could be some bias there. Some have argued that Maslow’s hierarchy only works for people in individualistic societies, and not so much for people in collectivist societies, where priorities and values are different. Plus, these needs might also be different depending on Bob’s age.

The final kicker? Maybe Maslow’s pyramid doesn't cover only “human” needs, and can be applied to most animals in general. While Maslow insisted that his motivation theory needed to be people-centric and not animal-centric, he was a man of his time. Today, we know more than ever before about how other species live and communicate. The more we learn, the more Maslow’s hierarchy seems to apply to them just as much as it does to us, especially for the first four of the five levels.

So...could Maslow have come up with a better theory? Well, yeah, maybe he could have...if he’d been more motivated. Ah, the sweet, sweet irony.

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and finance Allah shmoop What is Maslow's hierarchy of wants

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and needs Perhaps no other psychological theory has affected the

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public mind as muchas Maslow's hierarchy of wants and needs

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Seriously though Abraham Maslow came up with this theory in

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the nineteen forties away to organize ideas about how humans

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are motivated in the field of developmental psychology with what

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makes them tick What makes them want Maazel's hierarchy of

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wants and needs been used in psychology sociology and management

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providing kind of a framework for this old people taking

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things Usually Maslow's hierarchy of needs is shown in a

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pyramid shaped image with the basic needs of the bottom

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and higher level Motivating factors up here at the top

00:47

of the pyramid shape isn't like ours Food pyramid reflecting

00:51

the amounts of things we need you know to survive

00:53

Instead think of Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a pyramid

00:57

that's meant to be climbed Maslow's original theory was that

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a person must be satisfied with the factors at one

01:04

level within themselves before they could be motivated by factors

01:08

at the next level Well Mohr modern interpretations show the

01:11

five levels as overlapping their blurred implying that lower levels

01:15

might be prioritized again down the road even if someone

01:18

is you know higher up on the pyramid in general

01:21

we're going to talk about Bob's journey here through Maslow's

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theories Bob could be you your mom your friend or

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that stranger you just passed on the street Yeah deep

01:28

inside everyone is Bob the base of the pyramid We've

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got physiological needs which includes things like food water rest

01:35

shelter and the ability to you know live in the

01:38

environment in general Well here The idea is that it's

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hard to motivate Bob with something like prestige when he's

01:45

too busy trying to meet basic physiological needs so that

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he can you know just stay alive Bob's got bigger

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things to worry about right now If he's homeless food

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lists and you know pantless alright well once Bob's got

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the basics of staying alive down he can move up

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to the safety motivation level up here which says that

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Bob can then be motivated by things that give him

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security like think physical safety financial security health You know

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those things make sense that once Bob's got his food

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water in things that he needs to live seek out

02:16

security so that he can keep those things under lock

02:18

and key and you know keep on keeping on basic

02:21

mortality avoidance At this point Bob's Fed rested and not

02:25

stressing out so much because survival instincts took a chill

02:28

pill thanks to his safety measures Good job you know

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a place to live maybe wearing a bike helmet Occasionally

02:34

you go bob pants Don't forget the pain's bob Finally

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Hopkins start looking outward into the world The third level

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of hierarchy here It's love and belonging right The human

02:45

needs for closeness with one another In other words nothing

02:49

will motivate Bob more at this point than making friends

02:52

taking the singles bar by storm pay Well Bob made

02:55

friends at work and managed to snag a girlfriend Honestly

02:59

Nice Bob Bob's now capable of being motivated by things

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that level for his self esteem Bob will be motivated

03:07

by things that give him confidence in a sense of

03:09

accomplishment Well for Bob maybe a nice car makes him

03:13

feel confident Or maybe Bob doesn't care for a nice

03:16

car but he's really into his career working his way

03:19

up the quote prestigious unquote corporate ladder Whatever Bob's values

03:23

are well he can be motivated by things that can

03:25

fulfill them making him feel Fly fly Bob Fly right

03:30

Well now that Bob's taking care of his basic needs

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in his physiological needs well he has time to fight

03:35

focus on himself again But in a you know higher

03:38

way Well at the top of the Pyramid the big

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boss of the video game that is Bob's Life Well

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we've got self actualization right there Self actualization is when

03:48

Bob feels his utmost potential If Bob's motivated at this

03:52

level while that means Bob wants to be the best

03:55

Bob he can be well for Bob This might have

03:57

to do with fulfilling creative passions using his talent finding

04:03

a you know life partner and raising Tiny Bob Yeah

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that'LL do it After publishing his theory Mass Low later

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criticized his own initial description of self actualization And while

04:13

he changed it to be more like becoming enlightened or

04:16

something like that would mean that Bob things about meaning

04:19

of life things about spirituality morality the universe and seize

04:23

prejudice for what it is a fear based ego boosting

04:27

mean girl thing Bob becomes a true wiseguy Astle's hierarchy

04:31

of wants and needs does have its fair share of

04:33

critics It's not accepted by everyone Some believe that people

04:38

can be motivated by needs and wants higher up on

04:39

the pyramid even if they haven't satisfied all the ones

04:42

on the bottom first Others have pointed out mass low

04:45

on ly studied healthy specimens not the population at large

04:49

So there could be some bias there some bargain The

04:52

Massa lt's hierarchy only works for people in individualistic societies

04:55

and not so much for people in collectivist societies Help

04:58

priorities and values are different Plus these needs might also

05:02

be a different depending on Bob's age Right The final

05:05

kicker maybe Massa lt's pyramid isn't really human Needs can

05:09

be applied to most animals in general Massell insisted that

05:12

this motivation theory needed to be people center cannot animal

05:16

centric He was a man of his time Today we

05:18

know more than ever before about how the other species

05:21

live and communicate The more we learn the more mass

05:23

ALS hierarchy of wants and needs seems to apply to

05:26

them just as much as it does for us especially

05:28

for the first four five levels So could mass low

05:32

have come up with a better theory Well yeah Maybe

05:35

he could have if he'd been more motivated The sweet 00:05:40.087 --> [endTime] sweet irony Oh no

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