Comments on: Lest We Forget Maslow

By: Tara Joyce

Tara Joyce — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:57:11 +0000

Desiree,

Thank you for the recommendation. Another reader has also suggested that I read up on Spiral Dynamics and I will be sure to.

Ken Wilber´s name seems to keep coming up - it is obvious that I should pursue his teachings as it seems that he has great insights into a more conscious life.

Tara

By: Desiree

Desiree — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:20:18 +0000

Maslow is a great stepping ground … but the spiral continues. Spiral dynamics argues that human nature is not fixed: humans are able, when forced by life conditions, to adapt to their environment by constructing new, more complex, conceptual models of the world that allow them to handle the new problems. The best approach to this model is the new ILP – Integral Life Practice book by Ken Wilber and others.

By: Tara Joyce

Tara Joyce — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:21:28 +0000

Robert,

I thought you expressed your thought's beautifully and I completely agree. Maslow's Hierarchy is simplistic but it does do a good job of outlining the basic needs we have as humans.

But you are dead on with your summation that the chart needs to be turned upside down in order to properly express those needs that one can maintain in continuance.

Very enlightening thoughts you have shared. Thank you. I appreciate them and the thoughts they have provoked in me.

By: robert

robert — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:18:22 +0000

I am not much of a writer that's for sure. I meant that if you can maintain a detachment to materiality the distress that is entangled it's demand for continuance can be overcome.

By: robert

robert — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:09:01 +0000

I think that Maslow's ideas have a relative truth to them, but I like to kind of keep my eye on the ball so to speak and look at the ultimate truth as well.So what would an ultimate” need” be? Maslow's needs don't adress an actual fullfilment of needs, since everyone of the needs listed have a everchanging demand for continuancy and that demand is a pressurized contraption of unfullfilled needs, that are impossible to maintain. That impossibilty and constantly changing demand is a physiological and psychological burden and distress. A ultimate fullfilment of needs would have to be one that fills the criteria of being independent of change and can maintain it's own continuance. If you take Maslow hierarchy and ask the question, what needs can maintain a continuance you would have to turn the whole chart upside down, since the only need that can be met on a basis of continuance would be morality.If morality can be fulfilled then so can self esteem.If self esteem can be sustained then the rest of the psychological needs can be sustained.The burden of the physiological needs can be overcome through the continuance of a sustained application of detachment to materiality, surley the need for food, water etc. exists, but a detachment from craving it can actualy be maintained along with all the distess entangled within it's demands.This is sort of a simplistic generalization, but so is Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

By: Tara Joyce

Tara Joyce — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:59:53 +0000

Johnny,

Thank you for the important insights into Maslow's hierarchy. I just finished reading Man's Search for Meaning and Viktor Frankl's message that man's greatest challenge is how he deals with his suffering resonated deeply. Your thoughts on Maslow's Hierarchy perfectly align with Frankl's observations.

Meaning is found in how you react to the world not by what you receive from it.

Thank you for further clarifying Maslow's ideas and sparking deeper thoughts in my mind.

Tara

By: johnny92104

johnny92104 — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:08:13 +0000

I believe that Maslow’s hierarchy can be applied creatively to all humans, no matter what your background/culture is. However Love/Belonging, Esteem and Self-Actualization are needs some people do not aspire too. Even a Tibetan Buddhist monk needs physiological realization. His safety is created from the monastic order, his love and belonging rise from his friendships in the order. His self-esteem and confidence are critical to the pursuit of self-actualization. Now once a person is self-actualized many of the lower human needs (physiological and safety) if taken away do not destroy the pentacle of his or her achievement. The only thing that changes is the way one copes with those deficiencies, however they still remain important foundational needs, especially the Physiological ones, because with out those we can not live.