Abraham MaslowScrap book

Biography:
Abraham Harold Maslow was born 1st April 1908 in Brooklyn, New York, to a poor, immigrant, Russian Jewish family. He was their first child, six more were to follow. The parents of the family saw education as a route to advancement in the United States and placed great emphasis on their children's progress in school. Eventually Maslow became lonely growing up and so he found refuge in his books and studies.

In line with his parents wishes Abraham Maslow began to study Law but later, following a transfer in his Law studies from New York to Wisconsin, became fascinated by Psychology becoming involved in researches upon Rhesus monkeys under the supervision of the celebrated Harry Harlow. He later married his first cousin, Bertha Goodman, against the wishes of his parents. After marriage, he moved to In the event he did not graduate in Law but was awarded junior and senior degrees to PhD level in Psychology by the University of Wisconsin between 1930 and 1934.

Maslow then moved to California in 1970, where he died of a heart attack at the age of 62.


Theory:
One of the many interesting things Maslow noticed while he worked with monkeys early in his career, was that some needs take priority over others. For example, if you are hungry and thirsty, you will tend to try to take care of the thirst first. After all, you can do without food for weeks, but you can only do without water for a couple of days! Thirst is a “stronger” need than hunger. Likewise, if you are very thirsty, but someone has put a choke hold on you and you can’t breath, which is more important? The need to breathe, of course. On the other hand, sex is less powerful than any of these. And these ideas lead him to form the theory of the hierarchy of needs. The lower needs are more important to be satisfied first and then you slowly work up the hierarchy.

The hierarchy of needs is arranged in a pyramid where the bottom needs of satisfaction are more important than the ones above. The pyramid is like a ladder, you must be satisfied with the bottom needs to move up the hierarchy. Maslow arranged the needs in his pyramid from lowest to highest as: physiological, safety, love/belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. These needs involve the infinite desire to grow to your fullest potential.
In 1970, Maslow added two layers to his pyramid – cognitive needs and aesthetic needs (not present in all versions). He placed cognitive needs (the need to acquire and understand knowledge) on top of self-actualization, and aesthetic needs (need to create/experience beauty, balance) on the top of the pyramid.


How Maslow’s theories may have developed from his life experiences:
1. Most importantly his family were Jewish immigrants in America. He was not fully accepted in society. This may have lead Maslow to concentrate on social psychological factors in his theories.
2. Maslow’s family also really pushed him to the academic side and had high expectations from him. He then found refuge in his books, therefore not having a good social life. And then again this might have lead to his theories concentrating on social factors
3. He also married his first cousin against his parents wishes. Showing the need for love and belonging.
4. Maslow did a lot of studying during his lifetime, he earned a P.H.D in psychology and this lead him to gain respect from his collogues and society. (love and belonging/ self esteem)


Personal Response to main theories:
The great thing about the hierarchy of needs is that Maslow arranges it in order of importance. It also shows that as our basic need are satisfied we always seek for more, a further desire and thus never being satisfied until we reach self actualization. Maslow also portrays that the lower basic needs are our physical needs that need to be satisfied and later the mental needs which are higher up in the hierarchy. The newer levels added to the hierarchy, cognitive and aesthetic needs are placed above self actualization. However I don’t understand why Maslow chose to put them at a higher level because if you are already self actualized and reached your full potential then you have already acquired all the knowledge and there is no need or want for it, so therefore the cognitive needs are already satisfied when are already self actualized. And the same goes for the aesthetic needs.

Evaluation and Impacts on My Life:
I really do think that the hierarchy of needs does put our needs in perspectives for us. I do think that it is applicable to almost to everyone because it is also our natural instinct to survive, and this is only fulfilled by our basic needs. But there can be some exceptions to his theory because in some cases it is too ideal for everyone to move up step by step. An obvious example for this may be a poor person with high self esteem.

Maslow’s hieracrchy of needs is a popular theory and I have seen it before, but doing this scrapbook has helped me undertand them even more. Everyone does strive to reach the highest stage of self actualization, but unfortunately not everyone does. Right now I think I would be just about reaching the forth level of self esteem. I feel I am pretty close to reaching this level but they are just a few small things holding me back. I just need to gain a bit more self confidence and do better in things where I know I can, and not being lazy hold me back.

Quotes:
“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.”
This quote reflects back to Maslows idea of self actualization. A person must find out what they are good at. And then continue doing what they are good at to be happy. I guess I would have to agree on this quote because firstly it is very hard to find what you are truly very good at, and every one is good at something or the other. Finding what you are good and pursuing it is what will make u happy in life.

“One's only rival is one's own potentialities. One's only failure is failing to live up to one's own possibilities. In this sense, every man can be a king, and must therefore be treated like a king.”
This quote very much accentuates that everyone is equal and unique in their own way. Similarly every person has the potential to be the best and reach their full potential (self actualization). Since WE have the power to control who and what WE CAN be. It also reflects to the learning perspectives ‘can do’ attitude.

“If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life.”
This quote relates to the ideas of self actualization, as Maslow said our main goal in life is to reach self actualization and to out full potential of what we can be. And like the previous quote above it is up to us to choose what and who we can be. I don’t fully believe in this quote because sometimes people can still be satisfied with their capability right now and still be happy.


“We are not in a position in which we have nothing to work with. We already have capacities, talents, direction, missions, and callings.”
This may be too much of an ideal statement, but it concentrates on the optimistic view of the humanistic perspective. I do believe that everyone has the ability to reach their maximum, but we have to slowly develop them and that it is no already there to start with.

Interesting Facts:
There are many famous people who might have reached the self actualization stage, but I chose to represent my idol Roger Federer. At the age of 25 he is the greatest tennis player and a very modest and kind human being. I believe that he has reaches his full potential and is enjoying a happy and peaceful life. I love playing tennis too, and it’s one of the greatest thing that has happened to my life recently. When I play tennis I am relieved from all my stress and everything bad in my life. Like Roger Federer I hope to also find my maximum potential and be the best in what I can be, hopefully it will be in tennis too.