Day 3: Everything You Know About Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs Is Wrong.
It’s Day 3 of my ‘Working In Public’ experiment and today I set out to write about the Vision of Lifefulness.
But, this is the fun thing of just writing stuff every day, the post turned out very different to how I thought it would.
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In 1943 pioneering psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote a paper called A Theory of Human Motivation where he outlined the needs of humans, ranging from the basic — survival — to the high motivation — self-actualisation.
But what if I told you, that EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS IS WRONG?
Then, I would be over-selling the content of this post.
But what if I told you there’s one thing that you (probably) know about it that is wrong?
[FYI, I’m aware that Maslow’s hierarchy, like the 7 stages of grief, doesn’t have a great evidence base but this post is about it’s place in our culture, not it’s validity].
You’re probably familiar with this pyramid.

If you’ve been to the sort of conferences I visit, then some wag has used this version of it — with hilarious consequences.

If you really want to blow the roof of your corporate presentation then — hold up! — this is the one for you.

But [adopts TED talk voice] what if I told you that you’re thinking about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs all wrong? [ends TED talk voice]
Maslow wrote about a hierarchy of needs, he did not write about a pyramid of needs.
But whenever you see it, it’s in a pyramid: why is that important?
Well, what other pyramids do we see? Corporate charts, military commands, church hierarchies, the feudal systems, class structures, the actual goddamn pyramids.
There is not much room at the top of the pyramid.
You are not meant to be at the apex.
Most people are scrabbling around at the base.
The pyramid makes us think that self-actualisation, humans living their lives as fully as possible, is rarely attained, a minor sport played by the elite.
Self-actualisation if polo, when we’re all stuck watching the Super Bowl.
The pyramid tells us that living life as fully as possible is for the few not the many.
What if we saw the hierarchy more like this?

Now it’s a road to stroll along. Each step equally large, no steep sides to slip off and as much room at the top as the bottom. Nice.
[Sanderson Jones, chilled out teacher who knows the words to pop songs, turns his chair back to front and sits down on it]
What if we turned that pyramid upside down and imagined it like this?

Here there is enough for everyone to live what Roberto Unger calls their ‘largest life’ (one of the few times Mr. Unger uses words of fewer than five syllables).
Excuse me for blowing your mind but we’re going to build on that.
Check this out:

There’s space galore in this flipped hierarchy.
Self-actualisation is not a step like the others, but continues onwards, and upwards, into newer, profounder levels of emotional and (I’m about to use a word that will divide my audience) spiritual maturity and richness.
What does this have to do with Lifefulness?
The social technology of the congregational community has transformed individuals, communities, countries and continents.
The congregation is a transformative social structure, that has evolved to meet the fundamental needs of humans, while inspiring folk to change the world.
Needless to say THIS HAS NOT ALWAYS GONE WELL, but no one can can deny the power of churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and their ilk.
The aim of Lifefulness is to adapt and modify this religious structure in an inclusive way. The -fulness suffix is a deliberate echo of mindfulness, an secular translation of vipassana meditation, but there are other examples of this adaptation hiding in plain sight.
The first (witch) doctors and hospitals (and hospitallers) were religious, but the system was adapted for all.
The first schools were religious, preparing priests, but we realised they could open their doors wider.
What if the first congregations were religious, but we adapt them to include everyone?
Then we can provide caring networks of relationships for millions of people, where they can build lives rich in meaning. Lifefulness can be implemented in places where religion can’t go, providing livelihoods for thousands of practitioners who want to build the world as it should be.
That sounds like a big project (particularly for me — an ADD riddled clown turned social entrepreneur), how on earth can we make that happen? To find out, come back tomorrow….
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OK. I’m going to stop there. On a cliff hanger no less!
This is Day 3 of my experiment and today was fun. It ended up being very different to what I thought, and the process of writing led to some new expressions of ideas that have been bashing around my head.
Remember, if you are keen to help build this Lifefulness project then there’s a FB Lifefulness group can join. More tomorrow.
