Ψ Psychsational: Abraham Maslow

Abraham Maslow: Incest is Not Always the Prime Motivator

Abraham Maslow was born in 1908 in Brooklyn, New York. His father lived the life of a cooper crafting barrels; Abraham’s father was an ambitious and self-made man. Abraham Maslow referred to his mother as “schizophrenic,” and overwhelmed by the mundane needs of everyday life. Abraham Maslow is of Jewish descent and in school got teased greatly. Maslow retreated to the non-judgmental books of philosophers caking the walls of the library shelves (C. Johnston, 2006). He is “the eldest of seven children. He was smart but shy, and remember[s] his childhood as lonely and rather unhappy” (A Science Odyssey).

Urged by his father, Abraham attends Law school. There, two weeks are spent scrutinizing “spite fences” and Abraham comes to the stunning conclusion that Law school is not for him (C. Johnston, 2006). Maslow moves from New York to Wisconsin and marries his first cousin “Bertha” (A Science Odyssey). At the University of Wisconsin, Maslow has found love from his new incestuous wife, belonging in the field of Psychology, and self-esteem from the professors teaching his classes. “At Wisconsin he pursued an original line of research, investigating primate dominance behavior and sexuality” (A Science Odyssey). Maslow went on to work along side Harry Harlow and earned his PH.D in 1934. Maslow later met E. L. Thorndike who administers a test to show Maslow’s intelligence…Maslow scores a 195 and Thorndike strokes his ego by exclaiming that Maslow is the smartest person that Thorndike knows! This boosts Maslow’s self-esteem to hazardous levels. Maslow goes on to work with Alfred Adler, but finds that he is a truly a true scientist and does not want to be under the seemingly dictatorship of Adler. Maslow is truthfully curious about life. Around this time, World War II happens and this has a profound affect on Maslow and stretches his curiosity into the potential and further reaches of an individual. From 1937 to 1951, Maslow was on the faculty of Brooklyn College (C. Johnston, 2006).

“In New York he found two more mentors, anthropologist Ruth Benedict and Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer, whom he admired both professionally and personally. Maslow began taking notes about them and their behavior. This would be the basis of his lifelong research and thinking about mental health and human potential. He wrote extensively on the subject, borrowing ideas from other psychologists but adding significantly to them, especially the concepts of a Hierarchy of Needs, metaneeds, self-actualizing persons, and peak experiences. Maslow became the leader of the humanistic school of psychology that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, which he referred to as the "third force" -- beyond Freudian theory and behaviorism” (A Science Odyssey).

Maslow then turns his talents to teaching, only to come to the conclusion that his is teaching “pearls to swines” (C. Johnston, 2006). Maslow stops teaching and turns his brilliance and intellect to writing.

Maslow concocts a meta-theory called the Hierarchy of Needs. It is set up like a pyramid; the needs at the base of the pyramid are the most important and most basic needs of life. As the pyramid continues up, the needs become more complex and harder to attain.

At the base of the Hierarchy of Needs rests the Physiological needs which include food, water, sleep, shelter and sex (C. Johnston, 2006). I have met the Physiological needs like most college students. If the basic food, water, and shelter were not met, I don’t believe a person would be capable of affording and concentrating on one’s educational potential.

The next level up is the Safety and Security needs which encompass predictability, order, and structure in life (C. Johnston, 2006). In my life, I attend classes Monday thru Thursday and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday work two jobs at Office Max and Club Libby Lu.

Another step up will show Belongingness and Love needs. This level is the identity stage with the question “who am I?” (C. Johnston, 2006). I believe that this level still in the works. I am continuing to shape and reveal my personality and identity as I continue through college. I get a long great with my family and have a steady boyfriend that I plan on eventually marrying as long as he doesn’t drop dead before I am 25!

The fourth level is the Self-Esteem stage where get needs respect from others and respect from one’s self (C. Johnston, 2006) “Maslow felt that unfulfilled needs lower on the ladder would inhibit the person from climbing to the next step. Someone dying of thirst quickly forgets their thirst when they have no oxygen, as he pointed out” (A Scientific Odyssey). Self-Esteem is an easy one for me most of the time. People who lower my self-esteem, I tend to distance myself from. I think I give myself enough self-esteem, but it is also nice when it is boosted by people I love and look up to…those that I value their opinion and want to show above basic competencies around.

The fifth level only about 1% attains which is Self Actualization (C. Johnston, 2006).

“Maslow is a humanistic psychologist. Humanists focus upon potentials. They believe that humans strive for an upper level of capabilities. Humans seek the frontiers of creativity, the highest reaches of consciousness and wisdom. This has been labeled ‘fully functioning person,’ ‘healthy personality,’ or as Maslow calls this level, ‘self-actualizing person’” (The Search for Understanding).

Being a self-actualized person means that you have fulfilled your potential in all aspects of your life. Maslow believed that some of the Self-Actualizers were William James, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Albert Einstein. Characteristics of a Self Actualized person is (1) reality centered and aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, (2) show acceptance of themselves and others and realize that they are unable to change others, (3) are independent of culture and social networks, (4) have close, (5) intimate relationships with a small circle of about five friends (C. Johnston, 2006), (6) “the need for privacy, (7) autonomy, (8) freshness of appreciation, (9) social interest, (10) profound interpersonal relationships, (11) a democratic attitude, (12) the ability to discriminate the means from the ends, (13) a philosophical sense of humor, (14) resistance to enculturation,” (Feist, J) and (15) often have peak experiences.

“Peak experiences are profound moments of love, understanding, happiness, or rapture, when a person feels more whole, alive, self-sufficient and yet a part of the world, more aware of truth, justice, harmony, goodness” (The Search for Understanding). Self-actualizing people have many such peak experiences. Peak experiences are (1) ineffably beyond verbal communication, (2) transient usually lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes, (3) passive which means there is nothing I personally can do to cause these types of experiences, and (4) noetic which means these experiences are all within my mind (C. Johnston, 2006).

I had one Peak Experience that I can remember vividly. I was scared to get my wisdom teeth removed last December. I went to the oral surgeon and brought along my boyfriend Daniel for support and a ride home after the surgery. I remember walking into the room and to this day can still see the place and taste the smells. I remember getting the I.V put in my arm and the doctor pumping the fluid into my arm to put me out. In a few seconds, everything became clear. The sound and talking faded as I watched in slow motion as the oral surgeon made his way into my mouth. I could heart my heart pounding in slow motion too…the sound feeling as loud as thunder. I remember feeling at peace, like nothing was wrong in the world as everything went black. I believe that peak experiences are similar to what dying is like, and I am not sure why yet.

And the last level in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is on that is rarely touched upon which is Self Transcendence.

“The goal of human evolution does not end with self-actualization. It continues on to self-transcendence. “In a transcendent state you still maintain your individuality, but you are no longer confined to ego perception in the third dimension. One must learn to feel the pull from the Higher Self. It is somewhat like the voice of conscience. It encourages you to do the right thing. As your soul awakens, it begins to shine down into your mind, emotions, and body. There is growing sense of the call. Something is trying to happen. There is a sense of some larger self, trying to get through” (Self Transcendence).

70% or higher completion is needed in order to move up to the next level of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. 30% or lower will make a person stagnant in one particular level (C. Johnston, 2006).

Like I said, I have fulfilled my Psychological Needs; I have a house to live in. I also have two secure jobs that provide money for drinks and food. And, I have a boyfriend who satisfies me sexually. My life is predictable, ordered, and structured with schooling, extra-curricular activities, and work…so the Safety and Security level is met. I have pretty much figured out my identity and who I am. My identity will keep growing my entire life, but I feel like I still have a bit to go and need to get out of college before I attempt to become a Self-Actualized individual…or at least attempt to reach 70% of that level.

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is considered a meta-theory because it is a compilation of Sigmund Freud, Karen Horney, Erik Fraum, Erik Erikson, Carl Rogers, Huxley and Carl Jung along with Abraham Maslow’s theory building at the very top of the pyramid (C. Johnston, 2006).

Freud contributed the basic Physiological needs of the hierarchy with an emphasis on the sexuality. Horney and Fraum built on that with Safety and Security. Then Erikson went to discuss Belongingness and Love with his conflict theories and incorporated his search for his own identity into the mix. Then Self-Esteem was perfected with Carl Rogers and his look into Unconditional Positive Regard. Then Rogers and Maslow dealt with the concept of Self-Actualization and Self transcendence was Maslow, Huxley, and Jung (C. Johnston, 2006).

The first four levels are referred to as D-needs because they all lack something. There is a drive with energy to fulfill the needs that are soaked with deficiency. Society pushes us to achieve the first four levels of The Hierarchy of Needs (Physiological needs, Safety and Security needs, and Belongingness and Love needs, and Self-Esteem needs). However, society also discourages us from reaching the top two levels (Self-Actualization and Self-Transcendence). Society wants us to have a sense of who we are and have all of our basic needs met, but does not want us to exceed the norm of socialization, culture, popular trends, etc (C. Johnston, 2006).

The top two levels are referred to as Being Needs; these needs are not based on lacks, but enhance the experience of existence. Being Needs are not necessary to a healthy survival, but are pink sprinkles on top of the cupcake of existence.

About a month ago, I was watching The Family Guy over at my boyfriend Daniel’s house. The episode was focused on Peter Griffin (the father of the show). During the episode, Peter gets a thorough analysis and is diagnosed as “retarded.” Peter jumps behind fast food counters, says obnoxious sexual phrases into the loud speaker microphone, and grabs a lady’s chest. He feels that he is incompetent and completely changes his behavior so that he is inferior and incapable of any normal activity. Before he got the diagnosis of “retarded,” he was a fully functioning individual. The Family Guy pretty much sums up my perspective of Americans and the concept that they are willing to define their personality by psychological and social labels. They use the diagnosis as a crutch for their behavior just like Peter Griffin did in the television show The Family Guy. Labels are important to a modern person’s personality. An identity, I believe, is something that is created by an individual through experience. Labels are the easy way out; no work is needed which Americans love. Depression, retardation, Attention Deficit Disorder, all serve as an out to justify a person’s behavior that is incorporated into their personality. Americans and modern society uses it as an excuse.

Maslow was a professor at Brandeis University from 1951 to 1969, and “then became a resident fellow of the Laughlin Institute in California” (A Science Odyssey). He died of a heart attack while jogging in 1970.

“Humanistic psychology gave rise to several different therapies, all guided by the idea that people possess the inner resources for growth and healing and that the point of therapy is to help remove obstacles to individuals' achieving [potential]” (A Science Odyssey).

So, the information and legacy Abraham Maslow left is almost as important as his life works. Maslow paved the way for the development and augmentation of Humanistic Psychology (C. Johnston, 2006).