Embedded Files
Positive Psychology and Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Positive Psychology and Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Positive psychology developed about 25 years ago, building on the work of the humanist psychologists of the mid-twentieth century – including one of my personal favorite thinkers, Abraham Maslow. Positive psychology deals primarily with happiness and fulfillment. It is "the scientific study of what makes life most worth living... as concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling as with healing pathology. " (Christopher Peterson, Psychology Today, May 16, 2008)
Maslow's most famous contribution to psychology is given in his classic work, The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. He posits that we have a hierarchy of needs. As each level becomes satisfied, we move up to the next level of needs. The first, lowest level in this hierarchy is Physiological. We need air to breathe, food to eat, water to drink. The next level is Safety. Here we look to achieve security in our lives – personal, financial, health/well-being, having a safety net that protects us against the effects of accident and illness. The third level of needs is for love and belonging – for friendship, family, intimacy. Then comes esteem – specifically, the need for self-esteem and self-respect. These first four levels were deemed “deficiency needs” by Maslow. I think the point being that if we are deficient in fulfilling these needs, we will have difficulty in achieving the top of his values pyramid – that of self-actualization, the “being needs”. Self-actualization occurs when we realize our true selves, fulfilling the potential that is in each of us. Self-actualizing people frequently report “peak experiences” - temporary occasions of a high degree of self-actualization – moments of harmony, ecstasy, and deep meaning.
Victor Frankl, whose classic “Man's Search for Meaning” I read in high school, added another level to Maslow's pyramid – that of self-transcendence. Frankl once said “What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him.” Maslow himself added this new apex to the pyramid in his later years, although he had not finished his work on it when he died in 1970. Here is Maslow's revised hierarchy of needs. (Robby Berman, The Big Think, Feb 13, 2017)
RJC 1/22/2018
Positive Psychology Exercises
Positive Psychology Exercises
POSTED FEBRUARY 26, 2020
You can find dozens of definitions of positive psychology from its founders and from today's proponents and practitioners. Here's one from Psychology Today: "Positive psychology focuses on the character strengths and behaviors that allow individuals to build a life of meaning and purpose—to move beyond surviving to flourishing. In focusing on how people can become happier and more fulfilled, positive psychology stands in contrast to a focus on psychopathology."
You can find dozens of definitions of positive psychology from its founders and from today's proponents and practitioners. Here's one from Psychology Today: "Positive psychology focuses on the character strengths and behaviors that allow individuals to build a life of meaning and purpose—to move beyond surviving to flourishing. In focusing on how people can become happier and more fulfilled, positive psychology stands in contrast to a focus on psychopathology."
PositivePsychology.com tells of the development of the positive psychology movement: "After the Second World War, the focus of psychology was on treating abnormal behaviors and the resulting mental illnesses. Dissatisfied with this approach, humanist psychologists, such as Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Eric Fromm helped renew interest in the more positive aspects of human nature." These humanistic psychologists laid the foundation for the positive psychology movement - perhaps none more so than Abraham Maslow (see sidebar), who coined the term in his 1954 book "Motivation and Personality."
PositivePsychology.com tells of the development of the positive psychology movement: "After the Second World War, the focus of psychology was on treating abnormal behaviors and the resulting mental illnesses. Dissatisfied with this approach, humanist psychologists, such as Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Eric Fromm helped renew interest in the more positive aspects of human nature." These humanistic psychologists laid the foundation for the positive psychology movement - perhaps none more so than Abraham Maslow (see sidebar), who coined the term in his 1954 book "Motivation and Personality."
Martin Seligman is generally credited with founding the positive psychology movement. His TED talk on "the new era of positive psychology" is in the sidebar. He describes three types of "happy lives" - what he calls "the pleasant life", "the good life" where he introduces the concept of flow, and finally, the "most venerable" of the happy lives, "the meaningful life."
Martin Seligman is generally credited with founding the positive psychology movement. His TED talk on "the new era of positive psychology" is in the sidebar. He describes three types of "happy lives" - what he calls "the pleasant life", "the good life" where he introduces the concept of flow, and finally, the "most venerable" of the happy lives, "the meaningful life."
Seligman then offers several examples of positive psychology exercises or interventions:
Seligman then offers several examples of positive psychology exercises or interventions:
"Have a beautiful day"
"Have a beautiful day"
- Design a beautiful day using savoring* and mindfulness** skills
"Gratitude visit"
"Gratitude visit"
- Write and deliver a 300 word testimonial to someone who has changed your lifein a positive direction
"Strengths date"
"Strengths date"
- You and your partner list your greatest strengths and then plan an evening where both use your strengths
"Fun vs. philanthropy"
"Fun vs. philanthropy"
- Do something fun and do something altruistic - most people find that the "good feelings" last longer for the altruistic action.
LearningMind.com is one of many websites that give positive psychology techniques, "an effective and easy way for you to increase your well-being and overall satisfaction." I've extracted a few of their points in the sidebar but the short article is well worth an entire read.
LearningMind.com is one of many websites that give positive psychology techniques, "an effective and easy way for you to increase your well-being and overall satisfaction." I've extracted a few of their points in the sidebar but the short article is well worth an entire read.
Positive psychology has its detractors - some say it has veered too far from science into mysticism and ethics; others dislike the commercialism that has burgeoned in its wake with myriad consultants and others adopting its methodology.
Positive psychology has its detractors - some say it has veered too far from science into mysticism and ethics; others dislike the commercialism that has burgeoned in its wake with myriad consultants and others adopting its methodology.
"But", Joseph Smith at Vox writes. "how valid are these concerns, and do they matter if positive psychology makes people happy?" He concludes his article noting that "the fact of positive psychology’s meteoric rise cannot be ignored; Seligman and his colleagues are very clearly doing something right, something that gives hope, optimism, and perhaps even happiness to millions of its consumers."
"But", Joseph Smith at Vox writes. "how valid are these concerns, and do they matter if positive psychology makes people happy?" He concludes his article noting that "the fact of positive psychology’s meteoric rise cannot be ignored; Seligman and his colleagues are very clearly doing something right, something that gives hope, optimism, and perhaps even happiness to millions of its consumers."
*"Savoring just means that we attempt to fully feel, enjoy, and extend our positive experiences. Savoring is a great way to develop a long-lasting stream of positive thoughts and emotions, because positive events cannot always be relied on to make you happier." (Psychology Today)
**More on mindfulness in these posts: Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence, Buddhism, Psychology and Neuroscience: Mindfulness, Mindfulness Made Simple
*** Seligman tells of the "epiphany" that brought him to positive psychology. Martin was intensely weeding the garden with his five-year old daughter Nikki, who was dancing around, throwing the weeds in the air, and generally having a good time. "And so, kneeling that afternoon in my garden, I yelled at Nikki....Nikki got a stern look on her face, and she walked right over to me. 'Daddy,' she said, 'I want to talk with you.' And this is just what she said. 'From the time I was three until I was five, I whined a lot. But I decided the day I turned five, to stop whining. And I haven't whined once since the day I turned five.' Then Nikki looked me right in the eye, and said 'Daddy, if I could stop whining, you can stop being such a grouch.'" (University of Pennsylvania Gazette) In that moment, his five-year-old daughter made him realize that he as a parent, and that psychology as a discipline, had focused on correcting weakness instead of nourishing strength.
Abraham Maslow's most famous contribution to psychology is given in his classic work, "The Farther Reaches of Human Nature". He posits that we have a hierarchy of needs. As each level becomes satisfied, we move up to the next level of needs. At the top of his famous pyramid are the "being needs" of self-actualization.
"Maslow did not like how psychology concerned itself mostly with disorder and dysfunction, arguing that it did not have an accurate understanding of human potential. He emphasized how psychology successfully shows our negative side by revealing much about our illnesses and shortcomings, but not enough of our virtues or aspirations." (PositivePsychology.com)
Martin Seligman's TED talk
Martin Seligman's TED talk
1. Three things therapy
Allow a time period for this exercise, for example, one week, in which you commit to writing down three good or funny things that happened each day...At the end of the allotted time, review everything you’ve written in the journal.
2. Gratitude is a gift
Take some time out to write a letter of gratitude to someone who you’ve never thanked properly for an act of kindness or nice gesture or to a person who has really made an impact on you by being kind. Describe to them why you are grateful for having them around and what difference they’ve made in your life.
3. Balloon boost
Get a piece of paper and draw a few thought balloons on the page. In each balloon, write something about yourself that you don’t like...The exercise [makes you more aware of your inner critic], encourages self-compassion and forgiveness ...
4. Keeping up with kindness
Keeping track of the kind gestures you witness [and do] in everyday life in a kindness journal, you’ll quickly be reminded of the good that still exists in the world.
5. Be your best possible self
Imagine yourself in the future with the best possible outcomes in mind... [By] recording your thoughts on the ideal future you, a newfound optimism will begin surfacing and this will even manipulate you into actively pursuing the future that you hope for.
Self-actualization, peak experiences, and the farther reaches of human nature
Self-actualization, peak experiences, and the farther reaches of human nature
POSTED FEBRUARY 11, 2021
Maslow's Pyramid of Needs
Abraham Maslow introduced his famous hierarchy of needs in a 1943 paper titled "A Theory of Human Motivation". It marked a turning point in psychology and initiated the humanistic psychology movement. With its positive emphasis on the uniqueness of each individual, free will and our innate desire to achieve our greatest potential, humanist psychology became a "third force" in psychology complementing (and sometimes countering) psychotherapy and behaviorism. Where psychotherapy looked at pathologies and where behaviorism emphasized the influence of external factors on a person's actions, humanistic psychologists concentrated on healthy behavior and on what makes life most fulfilling and most worth living.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory posited that people would first strive to fulfill the most basic needs. When these were satisfied, they could move on to needs higher up in the hierarchy. Maslow presented the needs hierarchy as a pyramid - implying a step-wise progression. In practice, people often begin fulfilling higher order needs while still working on lower order needs.
Self-Actualization
At the top of Maslow's pyramid is self-actualization - achieving one's full potential as a human being. In The Farther Reaches of Human Nature and other works, Maslow discusses what it means to be a self-actualized person and how this is expressed in the day-to-day actions and activities of our lives.
For Maslow, self-actualization describes the desire that leads to the realization of one's full potential: A self-actualizer is a person who has reached the apex of human existence. In other words, that person has become everything they’re capable of becoming. This realization of potential can occur in many ways but generally includes the achievement of sound psychological health and a strong sense of fulfillment. People self-actualize in different ways - for one it may be being a great parent or teacher; for another, athletic achievement; for a third, creative fulfillment in music or painting or writing, and so on.
Maslow was especially interested in the characteristics of people whom he considered to have achieved their potential as individuals. After studying the lives of 18 people (including Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein) whom he considered self-actualized, he found fifteen common characteristics. Among these characteristics of self-actualizers:
Acceptance of themselves and others
A well-developed sense of creativity
An ongoing appreciation of the goodness of life - a child-like wonder
Deep, meaningful relationships
An accurate perception of reality
A sense of humor, particularly an ability to find humor in their own mistakes
Peak Experiences
One of the other characteristics of self-actualizers found by Maslow is what he termed peak experiences. These "short bursts of ecstatic joy" come when you are living your potential, making the moment to moment choices that lead to progress and during creative, athletic, or spiritual experiences. Highly self-actualized persons experience these moments more frequently. Maslow suggested that one of the best ways to think of peak experiences is to think of the most wonderful experiences of your life—those moments of ecstasy and complete and utter happiness like being in love. A peak experience may also occur when you come to deep realization about the nature of Mankind or the nature of reality.
VeryWellMind (link below left) gives some other examples of peak experiences - when you are in a creative moment; when a particular creative work strikes an emotional chord inside of you - a sense of "being hit"; moments in nature or during intimate moments with family or friends; achieving an important goal; when an individual helps another person in need or after overcoming some type of adversity.
Behaviors Leading to Self-Actualization
So how do we get there? How do we begin to reach our full potential? Some suggestions from psychologist Saul Mcleod based on Maslow's work (link below right):
Experience life like a child, with full absorption and concentration.
Try new things instead of sticking to safe paths.
Listen to your own feelings in evaluating experiences instead of the voice of tradition, authority or the majority.
Avoid pretense ('game playing') and being honest.
Be prepared to be unpopular if your views do not coincide with those of the majority.
Take responsibility and working hard.
Try to identify your defenses and having the courage to give them up.
In line with Maslow's thinking that our day-to-day choices and decisions as well as "nature and nurture" affect our ability to achieve self-actualization, vlogger Froede Osen adds that this is a constant process. Every single moment, he says, we have a choice to step forward into growth or backward into the "safe paths" that we are accustomed to. The net result of all these choices at the end of the day, week, month, year, life will leave you "either very negative about yourself...or extremely positive." Every choice you have matters.
Finally, the Good Therapy website expands on Maslow's work and suggests that one or more of the following strategies may be helpful in achieving self-actualization:
Focus on the present. Making a conscious effort to take in your current surroundings, thoughts, and emotions rather than becoming stuck in the past or future may contribute to spontaneity and a greater sense of peace.
Live outside of yourself. While knowing yourself is one key to self-actualization, so is the ability to focus beyond yourself. Focusing on empathy and compassion for others and finding something to be grateful for every day are a couple ways to start.
Practice introspection. Be aware of what you’re thinking and feeling, and consider the “whys” behind your thoughts and emotions. Increased knowledge of yourself and your personal motivations may lead to greater capacity for self-acceptance.
Be fiercely authentic. When you are in tune with your own needs, capabilities, and quirks, embrace them.
Pursue what brings you joy. Identify your strengths, dreams, and anything you are passionate about. Find more ways to incorporate what makes you feel fulfilled into your life.
Maslow's pyramid revisited: transcendence and the good society
Maslow's pyramid revisited: transcendence and the good society
POSTED MARCH 1, 2021
The humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow first introduced his hierarchy of needs in a 1943 paper titled "A Theory of Human Motivation". The apex of his pyramid was the self-fulfillment need of self-actualization. This original pyramid was discussed in a previous post, "Self-actualization, peak experiences, and the farther reaches of human nature". As Maslow developed his theory and continued his work, he modified and expanded his thoughts, writing more than 30 books in the ensuing decades.
In 1969, Maslow selected articles from his writings that would form the core of a new book. He was planning to write additional new material, an elaborate preface and epilogue, and to thoroughly rewrite and update the manuscript, when he suffered a fatal heart attack on June 8, 1970. The Farther Reaches of Human Nature was published posthumously a year later and is a collection of lightly-edited versions of his selected articles and notes. Two newly emphasized concepts stand out as especially meaningful:
1) Maslow places a sixth level of needs at the top of his pyramid - self-transcendence: the need for connection and the search for meaning.
2) Maslow writes of the need for a good society if this highest human potential is to be achieved on a mass basis.
Transcendence: the final apex of the hierarchy of needs
Two chapters of The Farther Reaches of Human Nature are devoted to transcendence. The chapters are in the form of notes, which may indicate that Maslow planned to organize them better and to rewrite them extensively. Fortunately for his readers, he ends the chapter that examines 35 (!) "various meanings of transcendence" with this "condensed statement":
"Transcendence refers to the very highest and most inclusive or holistic levels of human consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to oneself, to significant others, to human beings in general, to other species, to nature, and to the cosmos."
Transcendence is the recognition of the unity of all things and of our intimate connection to them. It is a search for a meaning beyond oneself. Maslow's self-transcendence contains elements, explicitly, of Taoism and Viktor Frankl's search for meaning and, implicitly, of Martin Buber's "I-and-Thou" philosophy and Stoicism.
With a nod to Maslow, the Positive Psychology website (link below) summarizes self-transcendence this way:
"Self-transcendence is, at its core, about transcending (or rising above) the self and relating to that which is greater than the self. In simpler terms, it is the realization that you are one small part of a greater whole, and acting accordingly. That which is greater than the self can be a range of things: human beings in general, nature, the universe, divine power, etc. It doesn’t matter what the greater thing is, only that there is something greater than the self."
The most important characteristic of self-transcendence is "the shift from selfishness and egoism to consideration of the needs of others." Self-transcenders are more likely to be "meta-motivated," finding intrinsic satisfaction, for example, in the work or activity itself rather than being driven by external rewards and demands. Self-transcendence also brings with it a more intensive focus on doing what is right. Self-transcenders are more apt to experience instances of awe, ecstasy, amazement, and feeling uplifted. For transcenders, peak experiences* and plateau experiences** become a precious aspect and important validator of life. [1, 2]
The Positive Psychology post also has some suggestions on things you can do to achieve a level of self-transcendence - among them: meditation, "mindful activities", make time to be creative, keep a journal, get out and get close to nature, practice excellence in whatever you do, and "discover what puts you into 'theta' (the quiet and peaceful state just between asleep and awake) and harness it to enter the inspirational and expanded state more often."
The Good Society
Maslow writes, "It is now quite clear that the actualization of the highest human potentials is possible - on a mass basis - only under 'good conditions'. Or more directly, good human beings will generally need a good society in which to grow." He defines such a society as one "which fosters the fullest potentials, of the fullest degree of humanness." [1]
Such a society would be one that "strives to keep alive a sense of personal and social health; that tends to foster communal and spiritual values that enable men to realize their fullest potentialities; and that attempts to produce those social conditions and relationships that maximize the creative energies of people." [3]
Borrowing terminology from the anthropologist Ruth Benedict, Maslow believes that the conditions for satisfying all the needs are best met in a "high social synergy" society. Such societies are characterized by Benedict as ones "where their institutions insure mutual advantage from their undertakings" and are contrasted with low social synergy societies "where the advantage of one becomes a victory over another, and the majority who are not victorious must shift as they can."
Maslow saw 20th century America as one of mixed synergy - with both high and low social synergy institutions. There are institutions in our society which "set us against each other, making us into rivals,...which put us into a situation where we must scrap for a limited amount of goods...like the zero-sum game..." Maslow concludes that any society that would achieve full human-ness on a mass basis (i.e, any Utopia or "Eupsychia"***) "must have as one of its foundations a set of high-synergy institutions."
To achieve full human-ness, to achieve the self-actualization and transcendence at the top of the pyramid, on a mass basis, the needs on all the levels below must be met. To follow the implications through means "facing uncomfortable truths about how our society operates and transforming all levels of society." [1, 4]
Notes:
*Peak experiences are "short bursts of ecstatic joy" that come when you are living your potential, making the moment to moment choices that lead to progress and during creative, athletic, or spiritual experiences.
** Approximately nineteen months before his fatal heart attack, he had experienced another heart attack that had nearly killed him. "It was during the time between heart attacks that Maslow experienced changes in his values and awareness, which he labelled as the plateau experience...The plateau experience is a more permanent state of direct experience than the peak experiences, leading to eventual stabilization if one engages in extended practice of it." [5]
***Maslow coined the term Eupsychia from the Greek for "well mind" or "well soul".
References: [1] The Farther Reaches of Human Nature, Abraham H. Maslow (1971) [2] Positive Psychology [3] Mother Earth News [4] SocJourn [5] medium.com
Google Sites
Report abuse