American psychologist Abraham Maslow presented a hierarchy of human needs in his 1943 paper- A Theory of Human Motivation. The main underlying idea was to understand the motivation behind the way humans behave. Basic needs are at lower levels, and as you go up the pyramid, you find higher-level needs. A Guide to the 5 Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Physiological needs: Basic survival needs like food, shelter, rest, etc.
- Safety needs: Around general well being including protection from violence. In a modern sense, financial, emotional, and health security also.
- Love and belonging needs: Primarily about human relations. Need of friends and family.
- Esteem needs: Primarily ego-driven needs. Needs of prestige, self-respect, etc.
- Self-actualization needs: Fulfilment of one’s full potential as an individual.
The lower four layers are grouped as deficiency needs, and if they aren’t satisfied, they don’t feel good (they might appear well physically, but there would be some anxiousness. If the individual is deprived of these, they get motivated to fulfill these; the longer the deprivation, the higher the motivation.
Naturally, as and when deficiency needs are satisfied, our focus shifts on the next set of needs.
In strong contrast with deficiency needs, the next ones are growth needs. They originate not from a lack of something but from a desire to grow as an individual. There’s one interesting thing here- in case of deficiency needs; our motivation keeps decreasing as needs are met; whereas in case of growth needs, our motivation keeps increasing as needs are met.
Extended hierarchy of needs
The extended Hierarchy of Needs is an expansion of the original hierarchy done by Maslow himself.
Three new kinds of needs got added. Two between Esteem and Self-actualization- cognitive and aesthetic; and one beyond self-actualization- transcendence.
- Cognitive needs: Primarily need of curiosity and cognitive satisfaction.
- Aesthetic needs: Primarily a search of beauty, balance or form.
- Transcendence needs: This is a state of the person being motivated by needs larger than oneself.
