Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 2.0 | A new way of thinking.
Maslow’s theory of self-actualization found me during my sophomore year in high school. I was taking an advanced health class at the time, our teacher being fun and outgoing would open up phycological discussions. His attempts to try and enlighten a stoned group of teens sadly never had much impact. Although after an hour long breakdown of the theory, I found myself very interested in the concept. Little did I know it was going to shape the next 6 years of my life.
The theory breakdown:
Wikipedias definition:
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in Psychological Review.[2] Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans’ innate curiosity. His theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. Maslow used the terms “physiological”, “safety”, “belonging” and “love”, “esteem”, “self-actualization”, and “self-transcendence” to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through. The goal of Maslow’s Theory is to attain the sixth level of stage: self transcendent needs.[3]
How I view the concept:
I have taken a new approach to the theory that Maslow has proposed. I broke it down to a simplistic and basic understanding of principles. Lets start at the bottom.
PHYSICAL
In the physical area of the pyramid you achieve your basic needs. These include the following.
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
- Sleep
- Physical Activity
- Basic nutrients being met (healthy diet)
- Chemical balance of the brain — Not consuming extreme amounts of substance (Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, pills, party drugs, supplements)
Any characteristic of your life that you feel would fall into the “physical” building block of the pyramid would be put here. Some will differ from others. Some will find that they can have a poor diet and feel great. For me, I put the way my body physically looks and performs in this block.
MENTAL
The “mental” block is where we hone in on what our brain is feeling and focusing on ourselves.
- How you feel about yourself
- Love
- Mental Clarity
- Memory
- Motivation
- Again, chemical balance
- Spirituality
- Goals and aspirations
- Drive for success or self growth
- Awareness
- Insecurities analyzed and confronted
- Love and care for self
This “mental” building block is where I focus on myself. This is a selfish place, a place where you need to fully get to know what YOU need to thrive as an individual.
SOCIAL
The social block strays away from focusing on “I” and turns the tables to those around us or those participating in our lives.
- Relationships
- A sense of community
- A trustworthy group of friends
- Willingness to be social with others
- Openness to speak freely to anyone without being insecure
- Job and relationships with others in the workplace
- Social networking for fun (Optional)
- Dating… if need be :)
- Going out with friends, parties, social gatherings
- Willingness to be kind to others
- Plans, trips, and goals to do things with another person or a group
- Giving back in community events or donations
Some of us are not very interested in the social block. But, from my experience in life and my reflections on others, I find that this is an essential block for us because the sense of community as a human is a necessity to our well being.
SELF
This part of the block is my favorite. Not only because it means you have met a system of requirements leading you to your goal, but because it means its time to start again. After embracing this peaceful place of “enlightenment” I urge you fight the complacency. Sadly, we live in a world where we either GROW or GO. We must never allow ourselves to become satisfied with sitting in a safe place. Yes, comfort feels amazing. I get it. But, if you want to use this concept to its fullest potential I suggest the following.
Embrace the “self” block, feel that stimulation of achievement, understand what it is you feel, ask questions, get scared, think big, be happy, be manic, be nervous, just feel something. Then, once the dust settles take a deep breath, close your eyes, envision the next steps, and begin again.
The human race has ceased to stop growing, we are not meant to sit still after accomplishment, yes, we deserve to embrace achievement, but, that should never stop you from growing as an individual or a community.
My favorite part about this entire blueprint is that it is completely scalable to your person life goals. For me, I use this chart very in-depth. I break it down to very personal key aspects of my life and until those are met I cannot move forward to “self”. So, whether you just want to blueprint a basic and simple transformation in your life, or you want to go in depth to some deeper self reflection, this chart is here at your disposal.
