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Abraham Maslow -

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist who was most interested in what motivates people. He believed that we all have a set of motivational systems unrelated to the rewards of unconscious desires.

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Motivated by different needs -

In his esteemed paper from 1943, Maslow pointed out that people are motivated to achieve specific needs, and when one is fulfilled, they will move on to achieving the next one.

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It's not static -

Though he initially thought that one must, for example, satisfy their need for nourishment before making friends (higher up in the hierarchy), he later realized that a need doesn't have to be 100% satisfied before moving on to the next need.

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The five-tier model -

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.

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The five-tier model -

The bottom four tiers can be labeled as basic needs, and the top level is often described as growth needs.

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Basic needs motivate when unmet -

The basic needs behave in the same way in terms of motivating people. They motivate when they are unmet.

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The longer they're unmet, the more we're motivated to meet them -

Furthermore, the motivation to fulfill the basic needs will become stronger the longer that they are denied. An example of this would be someone desperate for food or affection.

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The basics comes first -

One must satisfy lower-level basic needs before progressing on to meet higher-level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may reach the highest level called self-actualization.

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The basics come first -

For example, someone will not be looking to become self-actualized before meeting their need for shelter.

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An unfortunate reality -

Unfortunately, people's ability to progress in life to feeling high self-esteem is often disrupted by failure to meet lower-level needs.

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Life experiences -

People fluctuate between being motivated to satisfy needs in different tiers due to their life experiences (such as divorce, economic recessions, etc.).

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Culture -

Maslow also noted that people's ability to become fully self-actualized is hindered by the societies we live in. For example, in Western culture we reward people for having a fancy car and not how well they treat their kids.

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Physiological needs -

The lowest tier of needs on the hierarchy is biological and physiological needs, which represent air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, and sleep.

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Safety needs -

The second-lowest tier in the hierarchy represents safety needs, including security, order, law, and stability.

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Social needs -

The center tier in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs represents social needs, such as belongingness, affection and love, family, friends, and romantic relationships.

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Esteem -

The second-highest tier in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is esteem, such as achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, and respect from others.

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Self-actualization -

Self-actualization represents being motivated to realize personal potential by self-fulfillment, personal growth, and peak experiences.

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Moving parts -

However, a person is never static in these terms. People move between being motivated to satisfy different needs.

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Self-actualization and meaning -

In self-actualization, a person comes to find a meaning to life that is important to them.

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Self-actualization means different things for different people -

As each person is unique, the motivation for self-actualization leads people in different directions.

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Self-actualization is about self-fulfillment -

For example, this may mean being a good mother for one person and being the fastest runner for someone else. It’s about self-fulfillment.

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It's not a destination -

Self-actualization is not understood to be a perfect state that someone reaches, but rather a continual process.

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What self-actualization looks like -

Some of the behaviors of someone who is self-actualized include having an unusual sense of humor.

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What self-actualization looks like -

Another tendency for someone who is self-actualized is having strong moral/ethical standards.

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What self-actualization looks like -

Another tendency of someone who is self-actualized is that they can appreciate the simple things in life. Other tendencies include people being creative, not needing to be popular, and looking at life objectively. It should be noted that not everyone that is self-actualized will have all of these traits, and this is more of a rough guide.

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Behavior leading to self-actualization -

The kinds of behavior that lead to self-actualization include being motivated by experiencing life as a child, with complete absorption and concentration.

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Behavior leading to self-actualization -

Another behavior leading to self-actualization is being motivated by trying new things.

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Behavior leading to self-actualization -

Some other behaviors leading to self-actualization are being motivated by listening to your feelings, being individual in your views, and taking responsibility.

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Motivation -

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a valuable academic tool in understanding the motivations behind why people do what they do but is, as most psychological theories are, incomplete. As people’s lives are not static, it can be viewed as a mode of identifying needs by which people are motivated and not the be-all and end-all of reasons why people behave why they do.

Sources: (York University)(Simple Psychology)

See also: How to stay motivated on your fitness journey

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