Maslow’s Miss

Abraham Maslow

Abraham Maslow  (1908-1970) was a brilliant professor of psychology.  He founded a branch of psychology known as “Humanistic Psychology,” which focused more on function than on dysfunction.  He is best known for his conceptualization of “man’s hierarchy of needs.”  The pyramid is depicted above.

The idea is that it is necessary to meet most of one’s needs in the lower part of the hierarchy before progressing to the top. Getting to the very top, self-actualization, is not commonly attained.

Basic Human Needs

The physiological needs he listed are :

• Air
• Food
• Water
• Sleep
• Sex

Looking at the bottom of the triangle, it is impossible to progress up the pyramid if you cannot obtain air, food, and water.  Sleep is also critical.  Sex is important for species survival, but not as important for individual survival.

Where is Pain?

A thought struck me as I looked at his hierarchy; where is the need to not be in pain? I believe it belongs on the bottom row (Your Hand Stuck Over the Stove).  Any time a basic human need is not met, anxiety quickly results. If the need remains unmet, then it is followed by anger and eventually rage.  Anxiety driven by anger disrupts your quality of life and compromises your ability to function.

How are you going to progress up this hierarchy when you are consumed by pain? Maslow simply missed this one.

A.H. Maslow, A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review 50(4) (1943):370-96.

NH, BF