Rio Mohan Dluzak
Aug 8, 2017 · 1 min read

In regards to “Maslow missed something very important: that even below physical survival, there is a deeper need for social acceptance, and it manifests in all of the ways that people would rather die than live.”

I’m guessing you have heard the saying before from statistician, George Box — “essentially, all models are wrong, some are useful.” Well, I think that’s applicable to all theories, models, in every area of concern. Having said that, I think that Deci & Ryan’s “Self-Determination Theory” (SDT) of motivation is what you are really looking for. SDT holds that human beings have 3 basic, intrinsic needs that must be fulfilled in order to have psychosocial well-being.

  1. Autonomy (initiative, freedom, choice, etc)
  2. Competence (mastery, self-reliance, motivation)
  3. Relatedness (relationships, connectedness to others and your environment, a feeling of belonging)

In this framework, one would choose “meaning” over work. Pretty much any framework I’ve looked at that specifically leads to psychosocial wellbeing outcomes, includes “meaning” and “connection.” You can take a look at the evolutionary perspective as well, we survive better with cooperation etc.

Anyway, I love it when I see this evolution and especially when I’m a part of it. Thanks for sharing.