ImpromptBrüuImpromptBrü
Maslow's Hierarchy of NeedsPoured
How the notebook worksEvery page answers two questions: what kind of thinking it keeps, and how far along that thinking is.What it keepsNotesmy thoughts in fluxTopicA gathering point. It collects the notes underneath it, and sometimes nothing is written in the middle.MineMy ideas, at every stage of thought.Inspiredthis oneNot fully, or mostly, original. It says whose idea it started as.StubNot enough to say in public yet. Here for the links in and out.How far alongSteepingThin and early. Written down so I can find out what I think of it.BrewingHas a shape, still moving. Most of the notebook lives here.PouredFinished, which is not the same as long. Five words can be poured.Mix kind and stage on the benchEdited

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

“Put on your own oxygen mask before helping those around you” is an often uttered phase. There are over 101,000 commercial flights per day globally, so this simple advice is given a lot. 1 However, so many of us don’t apply it in our everyday lives. The advice is hinting at something deeper. Specifically, we need to meet your own basic needs before you try to do more.

This morning I had neglected a foundational need, and it through my whole day off.

Here is a simplified version of the this now famous hierarchy2. This concept has been extensively explored, famously by Abraham Maslow, and many that have come after him.

I recently learned that while Maslow may be credited for the pyramid which was created to represent his theories, he wasn’t responsible for its creation, and he actually was critical of how it simplified his more nuanced thoughts3. Using a ladder to represent the hierarchy resonates with me. All these needs matter, but they don’t work the same way. It’s probably not a surprise to anyone that when we are lacking in deficiency needs, it actively pulls us down (lacking safety or belonging creates real harm). However, when our pursuit of growth needs are stifled, it might not hurt in the moment, but it signals we are missing our potential.

My Own Ladder Graphic

References

  1. Airline Frequency and Capacity Statistics | Aviation Data | OAG ↩

  2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Graphic ↩

  3. Who Created Maslow’s Iconic Pyramid? ↩

1 min readCreated Edited

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