Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

462 Words2 Pages
The Needs of Life In the article “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,” created by AllPsych ONLINE, Abraham Maslow suggests that, “all persons are born with certain needs” (2) and that these needs must be met or our lives would not reach our fullest potential. These needs are best described in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a pyramid based on five levels of needs starting from the bottom of the pyramid and accomplishing each level until reaching the top. The first level is defined as physiological needs such as the need for food, water, shelter, oxygen, and sleep. Without these needs, life would be pointless. When this level is accomplished we can then move on to the second level, which is safety needs; the need for safety and security that allows us to feel comfortable with our surroundings. We then move on to the third level; belonging and love needs which makes us feel wanted or accepted and that we have a place in society. Once this level is met, we then move on to the fourth level of esteem needs. This level of achievement allows us to feel a sense of respect and confidence of the accomplishments we have made in life. The final level of need to be met in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is the need for self- actualization or the need to realize our fullest potential. This level is rarely accomplished as we must know that we have met all of our goals in life and that we as individuals have a complete understanding of oneself (2, 3, 4). We may achieve a certain level of need and then find ourselves slipping backwards at times but the ultimate goal is to strive to reach the top of the pyramid. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is an excellent tool to use to achieve individual needs through all stages of life. It keeps things in balance by allowing each person to accomplish goals in a pattern with what an individual may want out of life and how each

More about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Open Document