Abraham Maslow





LIFE

Maslow was the first of the seventh child of Jewish migrant. His parents wanted him to have a better life than they did, so they pushed him academically. This academic push led Maslow to feel isolated and lonely as a child.

The feeling of being isolated in an early age may have an impact on Maslow’s theory because one of his hierarchy needs included love and belongingness. Maslow may have look for love from his parents as a child, which he thinks it other people may feel the same way.

• They wanted him to earn a degree in law, and wanting to be a good son, Maslow went along with his parents’ wish and enrolled in the City College of New York

At this point he is undergoing the state of "Would-Should Dilemma"

• However, it was hard a hard for him, he completed only 3 semester and quit. His parents were shock and upset upon his decision.


• He moved to Wisconsin to attend the University of Wisconsin from which he received his B.A. (1930), his M.A. (1931), and his Ph.D.(1934) in psychology.

Maslow fulfilled his parents will, but later found out what he really wanted. Since he discovered his “self,” he followed his wishes and it turned out he did really well. I think it is where he gained his “self-esteem” as another stage in the hierarchy of needs.

• He retired to California, where he died of a heart attack in 1970, aged 62, after years of ill health.

Maslow's Quote

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. “

I don’t really agree with this quote of Maslow. I don’t like when he uses the word “must” because it sounds like he is pushing a duty to the person.
As for me, I don’t know if I can call myself an artist, but I like to paint and do activities regarding art. At times when I’m really involve doing some art work, time flies, and I catch myself again an hour or two later. I recall myself, it feels really good, I don’t know if I should call it “ultimately at peace” with myself, but I think it feels more like “peak experience.”

“If I were dropped out of a plane into the ocean and told the nearest land was a thousand miles away, I'd still swim. And I'd despise the one who gave up.”

Personally, this quote is similar to a Thai teaching that says “ความพยายามอยู่ที่ไหน ความสำเร็จอยู่ที่นั่น” This means if you try, finally you will achieve your goal. Or simply it implies that don’t give up.

This quote can give me strength at times that I should try hard at everything I wish to achieve regardless of all obstacles. I admit that at times there are (a lot of) times that I think of giving up. My parents often say that when I ever come across a problem, I rather give up of choose a path that is easier for me, which I think is true. If the situation in the quote really happens, I really don’t know what I will do. Honestly, at first I wouldn’t swim, but think again, just swim and I’ll be safe, I think I’ll try swimming.


“We are not in a position in which we have nothing to work with. We already have capacities, talents, direction, missions, and callings.”

I wonder if my father ever knew Maslow before because this quote is very similar to what he teaches my brother and I. My father always teaches us to be thankful for what we have because we’re luckier than others. We have almost everything necessary, we already have capacities, talents, direction, missions, and callings. We have everything ready, what is left is to only move the first step consciously, and then everything will follow its path.

“What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.”
I guess it’s true, if I can change the way I look at myself, I’ll be happier. If we can change our self awareness, we should change it positively. If a girl is happy with whom she is, what she looks like, and feels confident, it will make everything better. Rather than caring with other thinks of us, we should care the way we think of ourselves.






“He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail.”
A person who is good with hammer, it can be compared to a person who reaches “self-actualization.” If a person reaches the top of the hierarchy of needs, they will see problems from the “real” situation and solve it consciously.

Quotes from www.brainyquotes.com

A brief summary of the main ideas and concepts with your personal reactions and reflection about them

Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s theory is a description of basic human needs, which he saw as influencing every aspect of our behavior. He sought the basic human need into a pyramid diagram he called “hierarchy of needs.” At the bottom of the pyramid, locates the physiological needs (food, air, shelter) that are the most basic human need. Followed by safety need, love and belongingness, and esteem. According to Maslow, the four basic needs are categorize as “deficiency needs,” the most basic need must be fulfilled before higher needs.

However, this diagram is more of an ideal person to me. I don’t think anyone can follow the diagram step by step. There are many people who doesn’t have all the physiological need but still have esteem, which it also drives him to fight for himself. For example, a successful business man, when he was young, he lived in poverty. He has no food of a house to live in, but because he believes in his ability, so he fights to be in this status.



Self-actualization – “the most advanced human need based on the desire to grow and use one’s capacity to the fullest”

Maslow argued that SELF-ACTUALIZING is a drive within us all, "to be the best we can."

If the person does not see the importance of people around them (parents) or their future. For instance, a good son tries to be the best he can, for his own future, and for his family.

MASLOW~ the PIZZA MAN

Maslow’s theory is a combination of various psychodynamic theorists and himself

• Freud’s physiological need,
• Horney’s love and safety,
• Adler’s esteem
• Kurt Goldstein’s self-actualization
• Harlow, taught him the importance of scientific methodology and observation.
• Maslow returned to New York to work with Edward Thorndike.
  

His contacts with Wertheimer and other Gestalt psychologist; led him to see the importance of viewing the whole person

An evaluation that focuses on your own personal response to the ideas of the author. Can you see these ideas having any impact on your life?

Maslow’s theory about the hierarchy of needs can be applicable to very less of the population. I think it is too ideal, and very less people can fulfilled every aspects; one by one. Maslow’s case studies on famous people may have made his theory appear believable, but I don’t think anyone can follow it completely. On the other hand, it may have appeared that Maslow picked out examples that will comprehend with his theory. (Cross-cultural)

Looking at back at myself, i think i've already fulfilled my basic needs such as, physiological, safety, and love and belongingness. However, for me i think i still lack of esteem.
For me because i have all the basic needs right at the first place, so i didn't have to seek for it, which i find this as a bad thing. Since we already have it (others provide it for us) without needing to seek for it, we don't really see the importance of it. As for esteem, it is something i have to look for myself. If i can fulfill this aspect, i believe it's going to be very helpful to me. if i have confidence or esteem in my decisions; i'm postive that i'll be happy .^^.

A Poet's View

SELF ACTUALIZATION

by Darshan © 1995

There’s no need to strive for perfection 
‘Cause you’re perfect the way you are
There’s no need to look for outside affection 
‘Cause if you look inside yourself it will not be far

There’s no need to change 
To meet the expectations everyone puts on you 
And though that may seem strange 
It’s because you’ve been programmed to 
Believe in a certain way about how you live your life 
And act in a way others think you should
But all that does is cause stress and strife 
And affects you in ways you never thought it could 

Like causing you to think your self-esteem is low 
Or that you’re insecure 
Then it causes you to doubt what about yourself you know 
And shuts down your efforts to ever go for more  

So if you think you would like to improve 
Do it for you and no one else 
Because you have nothing to lose 
By improving yourself

So when that all becomes clear inside your mind 
You’ll become the person you’ve kept hidden 
And a peace within yourself you’ll find 
‘Cause now you know being you isn’t forbidden

Poem: http://www.performance-unlimited.com/sapoem.htm
Picture: www.devianart.com