The hierarchy of human needs – an introduction
Why do people blog, create podcasts, develop sets of photos on Flickr, or otherwise create and publish content? Is it a want or a need? I think it’s a need and I want to explore this need (or set of needs) while introducing one of the more famous concepts about motivation and needs.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow is most famous for his work about human needs. His hierarchy of needs is normally represented as a pyramid. The bottom of the pyramid represents the most critical items that we can’t live without. As you go up the pyramid, so Maslow proposed, more complex needs arise.
From bottom to top, the five levels of needs are:
- Physiological
- Safety
- Love/belonging
- Esteem
- Self-actualization
We’re all bound by our physiological needs. We need to breathe, to eat, to sleep, to drink, and otherwise fulfill all of the other biological imperatives that bind us in our flesh.
Without the safety of shelter, personal security, and a general sense of stability, many other aspirations simply fall by the wayside.
For many, the bare necessities aren’t enough. We need to love and we need to be loved in all ways, shapes, and forms.
The next level of needs deal with the compelling requirement to feel at ease in our own skins. We need to be able to accept and respect ourselves so that we can more completely embrace those around us. Esteem of the self is the next necessary step.
Finally, with the other levels of the pyramid complete and fulfilled, we stare up at the top level: self actualization. With this firm foundation beneath us, we can reach up and try to be the best that we can be. Things like creativity and problem solving may represent some of the hardest but most rewarding activities that a human being can do.
Many of us in the blogosphere write about social media. This ability to connect with other people via computers and user interfaces is, among other things, a means for us to achieve fulfill some of the needs from Maslow’s hierarchy:
- Love
- Esteem
- Self-actualization
I think that social media can help satisfy some or all of these three needs.
I’m going to exploring self-actualization here at Broadcasting Brain. It’s going to become a recurring theme, an ongoing story arc that we’re going to engage in. I don’t consider myself an expert or authority on this stuff – yet – but I’ll share what I learn as I go.
I’m hoping that you’ll journey with me.
OTHER LINKS:
A more humorous link at Maslow’s hierarchy, tweaked for social media
VeRonda:
Learning is cool. You really explained the “why” behind it all. It really makes sense as to why some of us do one thing and others another.
20 October 2008, 7:25 pmMark Dykeman:
Thanks, VeRonda.
21 October 2008, 6:16 amDoes social media lead to self-actualization? | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] suggests that human needs can be grouped together into meaningful categories. After introducing the Maslow hierarchy of human needs earlier this week, we looked at both the basic needs of physiology, safety, and love/belonging and [...]
23 October 2008, 7:28 amCan social media satisfy physiological, safety, and love/belonging needs? | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, the pyramid in question, is a means to understand when and how human beings experience certain needs at different points in their lives. Maslow’s theory suggests that there are certain basic needs that must be satisfied before other needs become active. The top of this pyramid is self-actualization, the need to realize your potential via creative expression, thought and understanding. On the surface, it seems that social media, an increasingly popular outlet for communication, creativity, and community, can help people satisfy some of their needs, although you would think that it fits better with the needs for esteem and self-actualization than at the basic levels. [...]
24 October 2008, 8:58 pmSocial media helps satisfy the esteem need of the Maslow hierarchy of human needs | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] usually partnered with the word “self”, sits near the top of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, just below self-actualization. As we continue this series of posts about the intersection of [...]
24 October 2008, 8:59 pmMeme’d - You are when you were born (really? | Broadcasting Brain):
[...] and highly motivated (check out Maslow’s hierarchy for more on [...]
24 October 2008, 9:03 pmContext, Reputation, and Sponsorship FTW! | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] linked to my article, it’s hard to say whether I would have maintained the motivation (see Maslow’s hierarchy for more on motivation) to keep writing, then later focus on [...]
24 October 2008, 9:06 pmOpinions have equal airtime but unequal credibility | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] guess it depends on your motivation (Maslow’s hierarchy is all about motivation). It probably works well as a piece of self-promotion, but on the other [...]
24 October 2008, 9:10 pmOpen call for constructive criticism | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] honest and constructive, I’ll read it and appreciate it. I need to work on climbing up Maslow’s hierarchy. You’re probably looking for ways to get more visitors to your blog, just like I am. [...]
24 October 2008, 9:16 pmDirectionless post about focus and 2008 goals | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] and getting grounded in various social media and user-generated content platforms. Working on Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, particularly the top [...]
24 October 2008, 9:18 pmFake it ’til you make it | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] I’m not a pro blogger and social media isn’t my career; it’s my hobby. I’m an IT guy who knows more about “meatball” business processes and mid-range, antiquated enterprise systems than Web 2.0, marketing, promotion, or how to use a Blackberry. I’m working on trying to move a bit higher up Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs. [...]
24 October 2008, 9:21 pmHow the blogging groove rebuilds | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] Things are looking up. I’ve got some new wind in my sails; let’s see where it takes me! Going to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy. [...]
24 October 2008, 9:25 pmSending traffic to another blog when you are stuck | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] how intriguing their article was about the nature of creative genius and how it ties in to climbing Maslow’s hierarchy, building esteem and achieving self-actualization (hint: the last three links actually go back to [...]
18 November 2008, 8:22 am22 Incredibly Useful Creativity Blogs Full Of Inspiration | Broadcasting Brain:
[...] cognitive surplus into something good. You can probably tell this from my recent postings about Maslow’s hierarchy, including esteem and self-actualization, as well as Creative Infrastructure [...]
3 December 2008, 6:01 amWhy are You Blogging? Social Media Stategy | Nathan McGee Social Media Marketing:
[...] The hierarchy of human needs – an introduction (broadcasting-brain.com) [...]
11 February 2009, 11:07 amOne more thought for What Matters Now – Question | Broadcasting Brain - different thoughts about thinking differently:
[...] when we know that we lack something important and we must fulfill that need. We all have needs. Maslow talked about that hierarchy of needs in great detail. Necessity is the mother of [...]
11 February 2010, 8:45 pmCreative Infrastructure 2.0 - using Web technology to self-actualize | Broadcasting Brain - different thoughts about thinking differently:
[...] Note: if you’ve arrived at this blog from the Middle Zone Musings blog, welcome! Please check out the Best Of page and the About Broadcasting Brain page for more information about how this website can help you think differently, engage your creativity, and self-actualize. [...]
3 March 2010, 10:20 am