thank you so much man. i was studying psychology in class and i felt like there was something flawed in the model. of course, the hierarchy could be represented as an ideal way to attest human needs, but in reality, human nature and society is what really influences these needs.
In Toward a Psychology of Being, Maslow said his hierarchy had to be laid out in the form of a pyramid for simplicity's sake. He also said it was multidimensional and in fact, all of the levels are at play all of the time.
I could go into a long explanation but I think what would get to the heart of this quicker would be to ask you how do you apply Maslow's theory in your life practically that you can see measurable results?
@@DamonCart There are many practicle ways I use it everyday. I think it takes a deeper understanding than a cursory understanding one gets looking at the linear diagram. One of the main ways I use it is in the division between safety and love and belonging, level 2 and 3. Whenever a person is emotionally triggered they drop to the level of safety. Knowing that, the thinking and behavior exhibited at that point is limited by the parameters of safety. This is important emotional information. It helps point out emotional motivation. It helps me figure out where I'm at emotionally in any given situation and it helps me look at others from a more empathetic and compassionate place. Are you acting from a secure place or an insecure place, or in other words, are you acting from level two or level 3 and above? To get beyond safety, is the first step to growth. You could also say that reactivity is more probable in level 1 and 2, and proactivity is more probable in level 3 and above. His hierarchy of needs diagram fits in with diagrams I have that represent my ideas and my material.
Hi Damon, thank you very much for all the work you've put out there so we can learn from you. I have always been attracted by NLP but have only started watching your videos in last half a year. It is a slow provcess and I and am slowly building a coherent model in my head. The reason I am commenting at this stage is that this video has put a large piece of puzzle for me. CONTEXT! Of course, everything needs to be applied in a context. IOW you build from details towards generalities. I have always adhered to this principle in my day job as a software developer, but for some reason it feels like a huge revelation when thinking about meaning of life, about values about what I want. I feel so excited right now, finally I know what steps I could take. So far your messages ( and those of Rupert Spira, Eckhart Tolle, Ramana Maharshi ..) have failed to really hit me because I was trying to grasp then overall, in general. But there is no such thing as one model encompassing everything. Or maybe there is, but is so tremendously complex that if one wants to apply it to a particular area of one's life, the only hope lies in limiting the area, and prceeding from details up. Something similar happened in mathematics last century, they had to accept that there is no overarching theory of everything (set of all sets), The only way forward (as I understood it anyways) was to limit the aspirations and develop separate theories for separate areas. Gosh this has gotten long, apologies. All in all, if there is one thing I'd recommend you to emphasize more in your videos, it would be this aspect of CONTEXT! This way the myopic people like myself would have more chance of seeing the light :) And again, many thanks for your work !
Extremely helpful! As much as I've really enjoyed many of your videos I think this video has the potential to help me the most to this point. Definitely going in my favorites, thanks!
@@DamonCart I often set goals but sometimes I get stuck due to an in congruence in some other area of my life. This allows me to factor for in congruence by more clearly separating out my goals by context, making sure those goals are in alignment and then comparing that goal pyramid to other goal pyramids. For example sometimes the conflict can feel as if it's about goals pertaining to money but really it's about relationships. This idea you've presented helps with more clearly delineating between what do I want and what prevents me from getting there! Sorry for the rambling I hope that helps. :-)
I found Maslow's theories working really well with how our lifes need growing. Self actualization for me is when you have all the peak moments,such as a great idea pop up in your head that can create something new. The problem is its only last a short time than disappear again like a dream. Another one is your acceting life as it is, no hatred and understand how nature evolves and work with each other. Its not explained everythings but give us ideas of how we look into where we are in that particular theory.
Still the foundation of the hierarchy of needs is based on an erroneous assumption that we function internally in hierarchies instead of heterarchies. Like I mentioned in the video, it's a nice ideal but hold it loosely. Don't assume that this is how we should function.
Good question. It depends on how you categorize them. You can think of needs as the essentials like food, water, sleep, etc. And wants as anything beyond that. However, we often say things like "emotional needs" and "relationship needs". If you're strict about the definition of needs, then these are not needs since you can survive even if they're not met. In a broad definition of values you could say that anything you value is a value. More specifically, and the way that I mean it in the video, your values are the core drivers for every decision you make. Values are what you're wanting to fulfill by acting, behaving, thinking, and deciding in whatever way. This is why core values are so important to know about yourself.
i do agree that the Maslow theory apparently has some "holes" in it but my interests then looks to the expansion in Graves Spiral Dynamics (see Beck and Cowen) which takes a look at the individual and the society reflecting on the various progress that is evident and paralleled in both! i find them both useful reference and understanding models. This is not to in anyway distract from the information within the video and the work of Andreas thanks Damon keep up the good work.
Thank you for commenting. I've yet to dive into Spiral Dynamics, but I've heard great things about it. I don't think Maslow's theory should be ignored. We just need to look at it with perspective.
As you say in your video, not so much that Maslow's model is 'wrong', than it's just way more complicated. But that's why models are useful. It's a shame so many businesses and institutions have used Maslow's model to 'enhance' their own motives without reflecting on the basis or their own systems. I might suggest that one of the problems in many models derived directly or indirectly from modern scientific/psychological thinking is the focus on 'self' in 'self-actualisation'.
About the focus on ‘self’? Only that modern psychology models tend to focus on the individual, with an inward looking slant. One expression of this being the proliferation of self-help and motivational materials aimed at individual improvement, many of which reference Maslow’s hierarchy or derivatives in one form or another. While there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with seeking to improve ones self, I have found that a great majority of these materials often neglect the outward-looking, social paths toward actualisation. I.e. we’re better when we share experiences and help each other to grow. I don’t know if that makes sense, or just a given to most ppl. I just don’t see it articulated very often.
That is absolutely untrue even according to Maslow himself who admitted later in life that we are far too sophisticated to fit any one rigid hierarchy. You would have to be a robot to fit Maslow's hierarchy which would defeat the whole idea of being self-realized.
@@DamonCart - I repeat - Maslow's Hierarchy of needs theory is CORRECT for people with a normal psychology. But it's like a straitjacket for lunatics. Wisdom typically comes with age, except for in THIS day and age. These days, it's only one layer of insanity on top of another.
@@scotthullinger4684 and I'm repeating that you are incorrect about normal psychology. My mentor was mentored directly by Maslow and he said that Maslow didn't even come close to living up to his own ideals. It was like he didn't even try. This is congruent with many accounts of Maslow, which supports the argument that his pyramid was just a fantasy. Just out of curiosity, how are you defining "normal" psychology and can you give an example of someone who is psychologically normal according to you?
@@DamonCart - Try telling me the percentage of people who "live up to their own ideals." I say virtually nobody. But we all try, don't we? Or most of us anyway.
Wowww... Well, what I do is trust in the ETERNAL to guide me through the temporary. One thing everyone knows for a fact is, it is easy to say everything you stated from the position of "being able to say that." In other words... That's easy for you to say. However, coming from a realistic perspective, there are those who appear successful who are not right so success is based on the appearance of success. As well as there are those who appear down and out, who are right! They may not appear to be successful, but they are more apt to be content in circumstances that others would only complain about and make harder for themselves if they had to be in certain situations. Sometimes life can put us in very uncertain situations. Even flying on an air plane can render us helpless. Yet, even in those situations, there are those who will be secure with the ETERNAL. Not just hoping, but knowing they are!!! :-) What really matters about life, should also matter about death. In life, we have needs that keep us existing in this life. Whether we struggle to get those things, or they are handed out on a silver platter, the truth in both cases is... It will all come to an end someday. The struggle as well as the ease. That is when the real deal kicks in!!! Things unseen are more real than things seen for sure. Not only are they more real, they last much longer. Therefore, contrary to popular opinion, the goal should be to secure ETERNAL success rather than temporary success. Not that having things is wrong, but that having things does not mean there will be sure satisfaction and right preparation for the ETERNAL. Not being prepared for the ETERNAL is a little like a human infant who is raised by a pack of dogs... You will never be prepared for what is even temporary, but you may surely be ready for what is ETERNAL. Not knowing or having anything can actually make one better than knowing and having everything!!! The ETERNAL is more welcoming to such a One, than to a know it all, satisfied with temporary things one. Just my thoughts!!!
"What matters about life should matter about death" ....thats eternal truth. Our lives should lead us towards eternity. We are an energy that never dies but can be "transmitted". I like your view on Maslow's Hierarchical of needs. " Its rigid" but true.
@@DamonCart Sorry for sounding rude, but I think her comment alone shows that she didn't understand your talk or motivation for making this video. Sheesh.
Most people haven't studied Abraham Maslow to the depths that they understand the hierarchy fully I have been studying Abraham Maslow's hierarchy for almost a solid four years and it is not shaped like a pyramid that happened after his death that happened by Corporate America Maslow did not design a pyramid
Regardless if he created a pyramid to describe it, it is a hierarchy. It's in the name itself. Humans don't function like that and if we did it would create a lot of problems. I respect Maslow's work. He was the mentor of my mentor. A great student should learn from and correct the mistakes of his or her mentor.
There has always been a dynamicity or fluidity in each & every aspect of life.. Maslow's hierarchy is not a law rather a theory, so it has its own structural flaws but that doesn't mean that it is wrong... Your perspective may differ from my perspective but that doesn't enable me to falsify your conceptualisation...
In the video I say it's a great ideal to aspire to, but as a model it's far too rigid to squeeze yourself into. I don't know that we're disagreeing. Are we?
this video reminds me the instinctual subtypes in enneagram. Wonder if ur familiar with that? Me as a one to one subtype, I noticed how I can go hours past my bedtime when I have a close friend over ,even if it’s often and I won’t think twice about it. or i have no issue being intimate while hungry or tired but I noticed many of my friends will not want sex if their tired or hungry and then I found out that they are the self preservation instinct.. and I think society needs all kinds of ppl and everyone values are slightly different. But when two ppl get married with extreme opposite instincts it’s frustrating .
Fantastic video, Damon. I agree that values are contextual and non-hierarchical, that’s been my experience when I’ve explored it. That’s why *for me*as a Changeworker, I’ve found myself agreeing with Melissa Tiers and others more that it can be more useful to work at a state level or behavioral level, aligning state and behavioral response to desired outcomes, which ends up putting the unconscious mind in alignment with the values system at play automatically. For me, questions like “how do you want to feel” and “what would be a better way to respond in this situation” are much more where the rubber meets the road, and honors the non-hierarchical way that the nervous system works. In short, I’ve found that I’m much more aligned with my values, and able to help clients be the same, by dropping the orientation to values or self actualization and instead working at the smaller chunk level of states and behaviors, allowing the brain to generalize out from each instance of changework. It’s been fun to witness as it happens 😊 Anyways, pardon my digression. I love the work you’re up to! Keep it up! This is an important conversation you’re having.
Dave Jolley what you are referring is not the Unconscious mind rather the Subconscious mind.. Subconscious mind is on autopilot mode roughly about 95-97% in our workaday life transactions & only 3-5% transactions are performed by us Consciously that's why we are layman just pretending to be a intellectual..
Doesn't basic neurochemistry in many ways prove it wrong? Some examples I ponder around is: If you eat food you appreciate, you will release dopamine and thus feel self-realization because in some way because of how dopamine effects our felling of pleasure, motivation and reward? I feel how added sugar, salts and fat in foods influence our brain in many ways shows this as a clear proof. Drugs also have effects that are similar to this in many ways. I feel the same happens it the correlative actions between oxytocin, serotonin, nor-epinephrine and dopamine in social situations and maybe especially in a job context, it's seems likely right? I feel Maslow was right many ways as you said, and his thoughts are in no way plain wrong, but shouldn't the system be an interactive wheel instead of a pyramid? with spokes even? My concern about this subject is that any healthcare educational book that's used in education both higher and intermediate contains this pyramid as the base concept of how "Humans work". I feel this set a standard for how we from time to time really fail in how we deal with both psychiatric disorders and crime alike. Taking a look at ICD-10 And DSM-5 and how neither of these diagnosis systems is made to comprehend demographic or cultural differences it makes it even worse, since WHO has made most of the world dependent of these systems to classify diagnosis. Some of the diagnosis should as I see it even not be classified as diagnosis, but mere symptoms. I am a behaviorist which has no formal education, but have served professionally in occupations that normally demand higher education and still I've been the head behaviorist and team leader. All my studies on this subject is what you would call home or self studies. But nevertheless I feel I clearly see flaws here that especially basic neurochemistry could prove wrong or at least a little different. And the differences seems crucial in the way we treat one another, bot in daily life, in psychiatry and within criminal corrections. Is this just me? I am from Norway by the way, so laws are a little different here, but still the definitions we emphasize on throughout this subject is more or less the same.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs assumes intelligence and environmental stability. That being said, yes, some people will pursue the needs out-of-order, but they will compromise their survival. If you compromise survival needs for socio-sexual/esteem needs, you will not survive. That doesn't mean that people out there wont get the Darwin award! Also, as the the government interferes with the marketplace, it changes our behavior incentives and our environment. A true hierarchy of needs presupposes a stainable government governing system without debt/deficits.
Can't say that I agree. Instead of repeating what I've said in the video, when encountering something like Maslow's pyramid, ask yourself is it useful? Is it practical? Can I apply it in my life? For me, and most people when they're honest with themselves, the answer to all three questions is no. However, if you honestly feel like it is useful, use it. I'm not here to take that away from anyone.
the fact that pyramid priorities change might be Maslows very point . let's say there is a crisis and the pyramid changes. Our job is to try and reconstruct the pyramid and having an ordered structure helps. i believe the pyramid is meant to be idyillic . Life seems to be chaotic i think the pyramid helps in countering total chaos.
I think Maslow included priority changes within his pyramid but I don't think he saw anything outside the pyramid. Every context you step into you will have a different hierarchy of values, which are usually unconscious until you elicit them. When you elicit them you will become much more flexible and adaptable to any situation and you will be much more likely to fulfill your values because you know what they are. Maslow's pyramid is a nice ideal. Use it to inspire you, but don't try to fit yourself into it or reconstruct it every time it falls apart. You'll only frustrate yourself. You're a living being. The pyramid is just a concept.
Life Mastery Gym Thanks for your insights. I think your absolutely right. I’m currently going through some new found anxiety and priorities have definitely changed for me. I’m currently reading a self help psychology book that suggests we have core emotions and inhibiting emotions. Our core emotions are for primal survival and our inhibiting emotions block our primal emotions for a higher level of life I.e. confidence, security, connection with others. It’s not a pyramid but I see similarities. I wonder if you might have some insight on that. Thanks again
Definitely a cool video with good advice, but I think most of your arguments are a misinterpretation of what "hierarchy" was intended to mean in the context of Maslow's work. A lot of what you're saying about how people "actually work" is what Maslow's Hierarchy was intended to convey; particularly, the hierarchy does not pose that one should focus on all levels at all times, nor that one should somehow be able to disregard lower levels once they have been satisfied. Simplified to an extreme level, Maslow's Hierarchy basically says "If you don't satisfy the body's needs for survival, then satisfying needs for fulfillment will be extremely difficult - because you will be desperate to avoid harm or death." A "gap" very much worth considering though, is how desperation can often be highly motivating, and how escaping poverty (satisfying both physiological and safety needs) can "feel" fulfilling, even though it's actually just a liberating, stable baseline.
Thank you. I appreciate the kind words and your thoughtful comment. Regardless of how exactly Maslow meant it (which he continued to revise until he gave up on asserting it as a model of how we function) hierarchy is hierarchy and we just don't function that that way. I can agree with you that if we don't have the basic needs met to survive we will be primarily preoccupied with getting those needs met before anything else. After that, Maslow's model falls apart. One thing correct in a model does not make a model correct nor useful. And that is the challenge I propose to you: How has Maslow's model made you more effective in your life like solving problems, achieving goals, becoming more fulfilled, etc.? If it hasn't, then it's useless. It's just there to muse about and that's fine if you enjoy that. Like I mention in the video, it's a nice ideal, but it is so inaccurate that it isn't really useful. I've yet to find anyone who can apply it practically.
@@DamonCart It poses a structured means by which I can evaluate balance in my life, and has helped me recognize and accept many necessary changes in my life. - The need to eat is literally something I struggle to prioritize when I'm "in the zone" - prioritizing any one of the top three needs over the bottom one, because they feed my "soul." - Understanding the need to escape/avoid poverty or debt as a priority over higher needs has driven me to set related goals to stick to. Knowing I had a plan in place, which I was following, made it easier to pursue higher needs without feeling bogged down with the feeling that I could be doing more for my lower needs. - Prioritizing love and belonging - connection - has made it easier to communicate with those around me, and thereby easier to attain recognition/esteem and self-actualization with the aid of social support. - Prioritizing recognition of my work (though I tend not to visibly link my identity to it) has helped me to understand how to be a more effective, self-actualized version of myself - particularly in my contributions to others' lives. In order to actually develop the specific details of my plans and goals, I've used or invented a wide variety of structures depending on the situation - none of which were Maslow's Hiererchy. The hierarchy merely helped me bring a useful "order" to the previously haphazard priorities in my life; before I had to really face adulthood on my own, I was just focusing on the "most recent" needs having had a poor sense for what the "most urgent" needs were. Once I had a useful way to think about prioritization, I was much better able to find the right resources for how to satisfy those prioritized needs - at which point a lot of work like yours becomes very helpful. I suspect that much of what Maslow proposed may just be more intuitive for you, hence not really seeing as much value in it. You're kind of asking the wrong questions here when you say "How has Maslow's model made you more effective in your life like solving problems, achieving goals, becoming more fulfilled, etc.?" It's only indirectly about making you more effective, it's about prioritizing where you need to focus on finding effective solutions - it prioritizes problems to be answered, but it doesn't provide answers. You can call that a "gap", but I think that's expecting it to cover more than it was intended to.
-That's not an example of the first level of Maslow's pyramid. If you forget to eat clearly you have the luxury of forgetting about it and when you do remember to eat you can put your hands on food immediately. Examples of what Maslow meant is ancient hunter and gatherers who had to spend most of their waking hours finding food or people during the great depression who had no job, no resources, and a lot fewer social safety nets than we have today. In other words, your survival is not being threatened. -This is a very basic understanding that most people who have never heard of Maslow know. You're not connecting the dots to his pyramid. -Same thing. Also, aspiring for recognition will limit you. You have no control over whether or not people recognize your efforts. If you're dependent on that for your self-esteem you will always be insecure because you don't control it and it can be taken from you. -This is the second time you've used the term self-actualization. What does that mean exactly? It's a nebulous term. It's not an endpoint or a destination. There is no arriving at it. You mention Maslow's Pyramid gave you a useful order but you don't describe how you applied it. I can explain values elicitation and how to apply it to give you a useful order when it comes to pursuing fulfillment, but I don't think it is possible to do the same with Maslow's Pyramid. This is the gap I referred to in the video. Maslow's work sounded great to me when I first read it but I couldn't figure out how to apply it. Knowing my mentor was mentored by Maslow, I decided to ask him. His answer surprised me. He told me there is no applying it, that my instinct was correct. It's not useful if it can't be applied. I'm not asking the wrong questions unless you're objective is to preserve a theory rather than test it. Why preserve it if it cannot stand up to testing? "The only reason to study philosophy is to become a better person. Anything else, as Nietzsche said, is merely a "critique of words by means of other words." -Ryan Holiday from The Lives of the Stoics
@@DamonCart Look, you make good videos with lots of great advice in them, but it's clear from your responses here that you have a habit of projecting - a habit of assuming everybody thinks just like you do, or should. As I've pointed out already, I get the impression that the intent of Maslow's Hierarchy is intuitive for you - which is awesome - but it's not like that for everybody. Maslow's Hierarchy is a tool to be used for a particular job, your arguments against it are the equivalent of stating that hammers are useless because screwdrivers exist. I'm not trying to convince you that Maslow's Hierarchy is right for you, I'm just pointing out that it's not wrong for everybody. To address each of your response points: - Forgetting to eat absolutely is an appropriate example, even if it is not an obvious one. Even if it was a bad example though, none of your response here counters the fact that learning about Maslow's Hierarchy did help me break that habit - which is what you asked about. Another example that you may find more appropriate is a habit of my younger self to prioritize connection over sustenance; I would literally spend money on activities with friends to the point that I didn't have enough left to buy groceries until my next paycheck without over drafting my account; if I over drafted, this would incur fines and result in snowballing financial insecurity. Was this poor planning on my part? Yes, absolutely - that's my point. Did learning about Maslow's Hierarchy help me to better prioritize these things - yes, absolutely. Is Maslow's Hierachy the only thing that could have help me do that? No, of course not. Unf*ck Yourself, had it existed at the time, could also have done a pretty good job, and so might have some of your videos. --- I should also point out here, that your presumptive statement "your survival is not being threatened" indicates a lot about why you're missing the point. To put it simply, not eating causes hunger, and growing hunger cascades difficulties into fulfillment of any other needs - the cause of the hunger is irrelevant to its need for prioritization. You're viewing Maslow's Hierarchy as a proposed solution when its intent is merely to prioritize problems (needs). - Did you really just "most people" dismiss me? I mean this in all seriousness everything okay? This isn't the kind of thing I'd expect from somebody with your apparent sense of social responsibility. That said, I do agree that it is a very basic understanding - I was providing an example with nuance. - Recognition comes in many forms. In the context of capitalism (which is the context Maslow was primarily focused on), recognition can literally come in the form of an equitable payment - in fact, any other form of recognition in an employee-employer relationship is arguably just a diversion from devalued labor. That said, I assume you're referring more to a form of recognition more equivalent to "appreciation" or "fame" - these are what Maslow called "lower" forms of self-esteem or recognition. Maslow's "higher" forms are more like "accomplishment" - appreciation for the development and application of one's own abilities regardless of external recognition. So... as I pointed out previously, you're arguing against your assumptions about the hierarchy, not the actual details of it - which clearly agree with you here. - I 100% agree that "self-actualization" is a nebulous and misleading term - but it's a headline, not a description. It should definitely be a better headline. In fact, one of the criticisms of Maslow's Hiearchy on the Wikipedia entry rightly points this out, stating: "The term 'self-actualization' may not universally convey Maslow's observations; this motivation refers to focusing on becoming the best person that one can possibly strive for in the service of both the self and others. Maslow's term of self-actualization might not properly portray the full extent of this level; quite often, when a person is at the level of self-actualization, much of what they accomplish in general may benefit others, or 'the greater good'." I think that also answers your question about what the term was intended to mean, and what I meant by it - it even has citations you can dig into if you don't believe the statements are backed up. In my case, a lot of "self-actualization" has taken the form of helping others who struggled with the same things I did when I was younger - the most straightforward example is that, having attained financial stability and excess, I am able to help others who are struggling financially (plenty of opportunities for that, especially this year). - "you don't describe how you applied it" - If you don't see any of what I've said as a description of that, there's not much I can say without repeating myself. You claim it has shortcomings because you hold it to an inappropriate standard - you want it to be a solution to problems beyond the struggle some face to organize problems. It is a filing cabinet for bills, not the payments. - Saying that you can describe how to apply values elicitation to provide order in the pursuit of fulfillment doesn't counter Maslow's Hierarchy; since fulfillment is a part of the hierarchy, you're basically just saying you have a solution for how to attain fulfillment when the need for it is prioritized. Whether you prioritize in alignment with Maslow's Hierarchy, or intuition, or any other tool doesn't invalidate Maslow's proposal. They aren't mutually exclusive in applicability. - To say that you don't think it's possible to effectively apply Maslow's Hierarchy is an obviously true statement about yourself, but not a counterpoint. It's very possible that it's a tool that just doesn't work for you. The more accurate argument to be made is that Maslow was wrong to pose it as a universally applicable tool - you're evidence that he was wrong in that regard. Frankly, I get the impression that the whole thing went to his head and he over asserted it - a common and unscientific mistake of ego and fixed-mindset. - "Why preserve it if it cannot stand up to testing?" Anecdotally, it has stood up to my testing - as I already described - therefore it has at least been valid for me and my situation. - Your quoting Ryan Holiday quoting Nietzsche is contextually confusing. Nietzsche was a philosopher and, arguably, so is Holiday; Maslow was a phychologist. Nietzsche suffered from similar ego-blindness; comparing Thus Spoke Zarathustra to actual details of his life will clearly reveal as much, and without fully discrediting either. That said, I strongly feel that philosophy has well-rooted psychological value, and that psychology commonly drives philosophy, but they are not the same forms of study or practice. One is observational, while the other is speculative - but both are valuable. The assertion that study of either is frivolous, as your use of this quote implies, is a very narrow perspective - the study of literally anything for any reason has value, even if the value is maligned or irresponsible.
We're not getting anywhere. You've made many assumptions about me and about my arguments that are incorrect and at this point I don't see the value in going through every one of them making the corrections to have you respond with more incorrect assertions about what I'm writing. If Maslow's Pyramid is nothing more than a filing cabinet, as you mentioned, you've proved my point in this video. The Pyramid is a nice ideal. If you find it helpful that way, I'm not trying to take it away from you. My point is the model is inaccurate to the point of not being useful enough to negate the harm it could cause a person who tries to squeeze themselves (a being far too sophisticated) to fit in such a rigid hierarchy. You have not demonstrated how this model can be directly applied to solve problems, find solutions, or in general make life better. Just because it makes you feel good to organize your problems this way is not enough. What good is it to organize problems in such a way if it doesn't help you solve them? If you want to organize anything, you first have to elicit what is there to be organized and be familiar with what's creating the disorganization. Maslow's Pyramid imposes an organization as if it is universal when clearly it is not and Maslow eventually admitted it before he passed.
There’s nothing wrong with the model. In fact, you’re proving the efficacy of his model in this video! This is simply throwing shade so you can make a video. Maslow created the pyramid as a generality, not a “rigid” model as you continue calling it. I think you don’t like the word hierarchy, but you live and will always live in a hierarchy; within yourself and externally in the world. Advice to people watching this - study Maslow, not someone riding his coattails and then casting aspersions on his method.
Okay then why don't you give me an example of how you applied this model, in a practical sense, to solve a problem, transform yourself, self-actualize, or make your life better? You can't because it really has no practical application because not only is it too general, it's not how human beings function. How exactly am I proving the efficacy of this model in this video? Maslow himself conceded, toward the end of his life, that his model was inaccurate and did not reflect how we truly function. Yes, we do function through hierarchies of what is important to us, but those hierarchies vary from context to context. There is no one, universal hierarchy that sits over all of mankind as Maslow attempted to define. I studied Maslow and I tried to bridge the gap between this model and Neuro Linguistic Programming. When I discovered that my NLP mentor, Steve Andreas, had been mentored by Maslow, I asked him how to reconcile the enormous gap between the two. He told me that the gap is real and that there's no bridging the two because Maslow's model is too flawed. And that started a new direction in the mentorship. I look forward to your answers to my questions.
@@DamonCart I don’t view the hierarchy of needs as something that will help you transform. To me, it is a roadmap for consciousness and reality. At one time in my life, I was struggling at work and making inadequate money to support my family. My ‘safety and security’ was being challenged for years. Therefore, I couldn’t ascend higher or linearly to another step. I worked harder and became aware of my limitations. Then I became more successful at work, accumulated more security, and subsequently I started changing. My mind was free to realize who I was, and a new side of myself was discovered. Emerging creativity, deepening thought, and a stronger connection to that which guides me. But realizing this wouldn’t have been possible in my previous world. Therefore, he’s right - at least in my life. And this is only one example.
@@Being-is-Becoming do you honestly think that if it weren't for Maslow's model that you would still be stuck in that situation, that you would not have been able to move forward without it? Be honest. If you think yes, then you should be able to give a more precise and detailed explanation of how exactly that happened. I can explain step by step how certain NLP processes, through direct application, helped me solve problems, get unstuck, and transform myself. Maslow's model has no direct application because it is too general and it does not represent the human experience accurately. I know because I tried repeatedly to directly apply it in my life and all I got was frustration because I couldn't squeeze myself into such a rigid hierarchy. No one can. And if you could, it would do more harm than good. Fortunately I had a mentor who revealed this to me, which freed me from the frustration of trying to do something that's impossible. The reason people are attracted to this model is because it's simple and easy to understand. But humans aren't simple and we're not easy to understand and we are definitely not linear. If we were, psychology would not be an ongoing study. It would simply be a roadmap as you have called Maslow's model. It's not a roadmap of consciousness and reality. Consciousness and reality are far too complex to be simplified down to a map. Like I say in the video, Maslow's model is a nice ideal and if you feel like you get some benefit from holding that ideal loosely, do it. I won't argue with that. But too often, people like me, will actually try to apply it in order to self-actualize. What will follow will be nothing but frustration and likely the person will blame themselves for not living up to an impossible ideal. I seriously doubt that Maslow would have wanted that for anyone, which is why he eventually conceded that the model is an oversimplification and it has not applicable or practical use.
This summary of Maslow's theory is crude and inaccurate. His philosophy was far closer to what the speaker is actually saying. Just read Maslow for yourself, especially 'The Farther Reaches of Human Nature'.
@@DamonCart sorry I thought I replied. Essentially, I read Maslow as a much more sophisticated thinker than the straw man I think you construct here. I read him in a heterarchic way anyway
@@positivepolitics1 my mentor was mentored by Maslow. Much of what I say in this video was taught to me by him. Basically Maslow had a very good general idea, but what he created didn't deliver. I'm not attacking Maslow for that. I'm just pointing out that many people try to squeeze themselves into his hierarchy pyramid and get frustrated when it doesn't work and blame themselves for it. The problem is not the person. It's the model. It's too rigid. It's a nice ideal, but it's not something you can apply and execute on.
I know. You're so right. I like to go to grocery stores where they give out free samples of food and demand the whole meal for free because all they're really trying to do is get my money. This video I made is valued at $10.99 (even thought you watched it for free) and your email is valued at $4.97 so you actually owe me $6.02. But since you totally caught me being dishonest, give me your physical address and I'll mail you a copy of the free 4 part video series that you want and if you like it, I'll come over to your place and coach you for free. Deal?
@@DamonCart I'm good. Your video is nothing more than a commercial. Data is the new oil. I don't owe anyone anything. Check your attention whore shadow
Ps. The sample people are not stating that they will give you anything for free and I don't participate in those either because they eff up traffic at the store.
FREE 4 Part Video series I mention in the video HERE!
www.lifemasterygym.com/4video-series-youtube?Jun12-19&
Started by going back to stuff I was good at and was discouraged...filling the empty holes,puzzle with pieces that I desire life to run to my life.
thank you so much man. i was studying psychology in class and i felt like there was something flawed in the model. of course, the hierarchy could be represented as an ideal way to attest human needs, but in reality, human nature and society is what really influences these needs.
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.
Men who go off into the woods by themselves for long periods with only a hunting knife seem to defy this hierarchy at every level.
In Toward a Psychology of Being, Maslow said his hierarchy had to be laid out in the form of a pyramid for simplicity's sake. He also said it was multidimensional and in fact, all of the levels are at play all of the time.
Yes, but he didn't offer anything in that regard.
@@DamonCart I don't understand what your saying.
I could go into a long explanation but I think what would get to the heart of this quicker would be to ask you how do you apply Maslow's theory in your life practically that you can see measurable results?
@@DamonCart There are many practicle ways I use it everyday. I think it takes a deeper understanding than a cursory understanding one gets looking at the linear diagram. One of the main ways I use it is in the division between safety and love and belonging, level 2 and 3. Whenever a person is emotionally triggered they drop to the level of safety. Knowing that, the thinking and behavior exhibited at that point is limited by the parameters of safety. This is important emotional information. It helps point out emotional motivation. It helps me figure out where I'm at emotionally in any given situation and it helps me look at others from a more empathetic and compassionate place. Are you acting from a secure place or an insecure place, or in other words, are you acting from level two or level 3 and above? To get beyond safety, is the first step to growth. You could also say that reactivity is more probable in level 1 and 2, and proactivity is more probable in level 3 and above. His hierarchy of needs diagram fits in with diagrams I have that represent my ideas and my material.
D motivation or b motivation.
Hi Damon, thank you very much for all the work you've put out there so we can learn from you. I have always been attracted by NLP but have only started watching your videos in last half a year. It is a slow provcess and I and am slowly building a coherent model in my head. The reason I am commenting at this stage is that this video has put a large piece of puzzle for me. CONTEXT! Of course, everything needs to be applied in a context. IOW you build from details towards generalities. I have always adhered to this principle in my day job as a software developer, but for some reason it feels like a huge revelation when thinking about meaning of life, about values about what I want. I feel so excited right now, finally I know what steps I could take. So far your messages ( and those of Rupert Spira, Eckhart Tolle, Ramana Maharshi ..) have failed to really hit me because I was trying to grasp then overall, in general. But there is no such thing as one model encompassing everything. Or maybe there is, but is so tremendously complex that if one wants to apply it to a particular area of one's life, the only hope lies in limiting the area, and prceeding from details up. Something similar happened in mathematics last century, they had to accept that there is no overarching theory of everything (set of all sets), The only way forward (as I understood it anyways) was to limit the aspirations and develop separate theories for separate areas. Gosh this has gotten long, apologies. All in all, if there is one thing I'd recommend you to emphasize more in your videos, it would be this aspect of CONTEXT! This way the myopic people like myself would have more chance of seeing the light :) And again, many thanks for your work !
You're welcome.
Extremely helpful! As much as I've really enjoyed many of your videos I think this video has the potential to help me the most to this point. Definitely going in my favorites, thanks!
Thank you. What is it about this one that helps you?
@@DamonCart I often set goals but sometimes I get stuck due to an in congruence in some other area of my life.
This allows me to factor for in congruence by more clearly separating out my goals by context, making sure those goals are in alignment and then comparing that goal pyramid to other goal pyramids. For example sometimes the conflict can feel as if it's about goals pertaining to money but really it's about relationships. This idea you've presented helps with more clearly delineating between what do I want and what prevents me from getting there! Sorry for the rambling I hope that helps. :-)
@@derekl3108 good stuff. You've definitely got it.
Yes ,and yes again your channel it's one of the best on youtube that talk about NLP
Thank you. What do you like about this video?
Yes!
Love your channel. Superb content and delivery.
Thank you.
Much appreciated!
I found Maslow's theories working really well with how our lifes need growing.
Self actualization for me is when you have all the peak moments,such as a great idea pop up in your head that can create something new. The problem is its only last a short time than disappear again like a dream. Another one is your acceting life as it is, no hatred and understand how nature evolves and work with each other.
Its not explained everythings but give us ideas of how we look into where we are in that particular theory.
Maslow definitely had good ideas and great intentions. Unfortunately they weren't very applicable in actual life, but nice ideals to aspire to.
Maslow said that the needs are not rigid, so you can actually have different needs with different proportions
Still the foundation of the hierarchy of needs is based on an erroneous assumption that we function internally in hierarchies instead of heterarchies. Like I mentioned in the video, it's a nice ideal but hold it loosely. Don't assume that this is how we should function.
Hi Damon, excellent video! One thing is just not clear to me, what is the difference between needs and values? Is emotional needs same as core values?
Good question. It depends on how you categorize them. You can think of needs as the essentials like food, water, sleep, etc. And wants as anything beyond that. However, we often say things like "emotional needs" and "relationship needs". If you're strict about the definition of needs, then these are not needs since you can survive even if they're not met. In a broad definition of values you could say that anything you value is a value. More specifically, and the way that I mean it in the video, your values are the core drivers for every decision you make. Values are what you're wanting to fulfill by acting, behaving, thinking, and deciding in whatever way. This is why core values are so important to know about yourself.
i do agree that the Maslow theory apparently has some "holes" in it but my interests then looks to the expansion in Graves Spiral Dynamics (see Beck and Cowen) which takes a look at the individual and the society reflecting on the various progress that is evident and paralleled in both! i find them both useful reference and understanding models. This is not to in anyway distract from the information within the video and the work of Andreas thanks Damon keep up the good work.
Thank you for commenting. I've yet to dive into Spiral Dynamics, but I've heard great things about it. I don't think Maslow's theory should be ignored. We just need to look at it with perspective.
All of these models are silly and can be simplified by staying true to oneself. That's it. All else is just noise.
thank you so much sir for making this hierarchy-headerarchy concept crystal clear
Great Video as always! Thank you very much!
( I personally hate this "music ending" ... just feedback ! ;-)
Thank you and you're welcome. Do you hate the music that comes in while I'm still talking or the music at the end with the logo animation?
@@DamonCart Specifically the music that plays WHILE you talk. The ending logo-music is ok for me.
As you say in your video, not so much that Maslow's model is 'wrong', than it's just way more complicated. But that's why models are useful. It's a shame so many businesses and institutions have used Maslow's model to 'enhance' their own motives without reflecting on the basis or their own systems.
I might suggest that one of the problems in many models derived directly or indirectly from modern scientific/psychological thinking is the focus on 'self' in 'self-actualisation'.
What do you mean?
About the focus on ‘self’? Only that modern psychology models tend to focus on the individual, with an inward looking slant. One expression of this being the proliferation of self-help and motivational materials aimed at individual improvement, many of which reference Maslow’s hierarchy or derivatives in one form or another.
While there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with seeking to improve ones self, I have found that a great majority of these materials often neglect the outward-looking, social paths toward actualisation.
I.e. we’re better when we share experiences and help each other to grow.
I don’t know if that makes sense, or just a given to most ppl. I just don’t see it articulated very often.
Thank you sir🤘 i really need this for my school report
You're welcome.
Maslow's Hierarchy of needs theory is CORRECT for people with a normal psychology. But it's like a straitjacket for lunatics.
That is absolutely untrue even according to Maslow himself who admitted later in life that we are far too sophisticated to fit any one rigid hierarchy.
You would have to be a robot to fit Maslow's hierarchy which would defeat the whole idea of being self-realized.
@@DamonCart - I repeat -
Maslow's Hierarchy of needs theory is CORRECT for people with a normal psychology. But it's like a straitjacket for lunatics.
Wisdom typically comes with age, except for in THIS day and age. These days, it's only one layer of insanity on top of another.
@@scotthullinger4684 and I'm repeating that you are incorrect about normal psychology.
My mentor was mentored directly by Maslow and he said that Maslow didn't even come close to living up to his own ideals. It was like he didn't even try. This is congruent with many accounts of Maslow, which supports the argument that his pyramid was just a fantasy.
Just out of curiosity, how are you defining "normal" psychology and can you give an example of someone who is psychologically normal according to you?
@@DamonCart - Try telling me the percentage of people who "live up to their own ideals." I say virtually nobody. But we all try, don't we? Or most of us anyway.
@@DamonCart - Give me examples of what Maslow did which was not congruent with his own philosophy. A genuine such as ... ?
Wowww... Well, what I do is trust in the ETERNAL to guide me through the temporary. One thing everyone knows for a fact is, it is easy to say everything you stated from the position of "being able to say that." In other words... That's easy for you to say. However, coming from a realistic perspective, there are those who appear successful who are not right so success is based on the appearance of success. As well as there are those who appear down and out, who are right! They may not appear to be successful, but they are more apt to be content in circumstances that others would only complain about and make harder for themselves if they had to be in certain situations. Sometimes life can put us in very uncertain situations. Even flying on an air plane can render us helpless. Yet, even in those situations, there are those who will be secure with the ETERNAL. Not just hoping, but knowing they are!!! :-)
What really matters about life, should also matter about death. In life, we have needs that keep us existing in this life. Whether we struggle to get those things, or they are handed out on a silver platter, the truth in both cases is... It will all come to an end someday. The struggle as well as the ease. That is when the real deal kicks in!!!
Things unseen are more real than things seen for sure. Not only are they more real, they last much longer. Therefore, contrary to popular opinion, the goal should be to secure ETERNAL success rather than temporary success. Not that having things is wrong, but that having things does not mean there will be sure satisfaction and right preparation for the ETERNAL. Not being prepared for the ETERNAL is a little like a human infant who is raised by a pack of dogs... You will never be prepared for what is even temporary, but you may surely be ready for what is ETERNAL. Not knowing or having anything can actually make one better than knowing and having everything!!! The ETERNAL is more welcoming to such a One, than to a know it all, satisfied with temporary things one.
Just my thoughts!!!
What exactly do you mean by the ETERNAL?
"What matters about life should matter about death" ....thats eternal truth. Our lives should lead us towards eternity. We are an energy that never dies but can be "transmitted". I like your view on Maslow's Hierarchical of needs. " Its rigid" but true.
Hi me again is there any way to write you an email because how do I stop someone from gaslighting me?
Sure you can write me at damon@lifemasterygym.com
Thank you for the information! Awesome
You're welcome. Thank you for commenting.
Great video !
Thank you!
I highly recommend you read a theory of human motivation.
I'm familiar with Maslow's work obviously. What is the basic premise that you think I should understand?
What are you not getting? Apparently you didn't understand one word of Damon's talk.
@@DamonCart Sorry for sounding rude, but I think her comment alone shows that she didn't understand your talk or motivation for making this video. Sheesh.
Great explanation!
Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Most people haven't studied Abraham Maslow to the depths that they understand the hierarchy fully I have been studying Abraham Maslow's hierarchy for almost a solid four years and it is not shaped like a pyramid that happened after his death that happened by Corporate America Maslow did not design a pyramid
Regardless if he created a pyramid to describe it, it is a hierarchy. It's in the name itself. Humans don't function like that and if we did it would create a lot of problems. I respect Maslow's work. He was the mentor of my mentor. A great student should learn from and correct the mistakes of his or her mentor.
There has always been a dynamicity or fluidity in each & every aspect of life..
Maslow's hierarchy is not a law rather a theory, so it has its own structural flaws but that doesn't mean that it is wrong...
Your perspective may differ from my perspective but that doesn't enable me to falsify your conceptualisation...
In the video I say it's a great ideal to aspire to, but as a model it's far too rigid to squeeze yourself into. I don't know that we're disagreeing. Are we?
Thank u so much for this Sir Damon
You are welcome. What do you like about this video?
this video reminds me the instinctual subtypes in enneagram. Wonder if ur familiar with that? Me as a one to one subtype, I noticed how I can go hours past my bedtime when I have a close friend over ,even if it’s often and I won’t think twice about it. or i have no issue being intimate while hungry or tired but I noticed many of my friends will not want sex if their tired or hungry and then I found out that they are the self preservation instinct.. and I think society needs all kinds of ppl and everyone values are slightly different. But when two ppl get married with extreme opposite instincts it’s frustrating .
I've heard a lot about Enneagram but I don't know much about it.
Mis characterizing mass lows discussion of his theory in order to sell product. Well played
Its Maslow, not mass lows. How have I mischaracterized his theory and what's the product I'm selling?
Maslows hierarchy without hierarchy is nothing. Thanks for debunking it.
You're welcome.
Fantastic video, Damon.
I agree that values are contextual and non-hierarchical, that’s been my experience when I’ve explored it. That’s why *for me*as a Changeworker, I’ve found myself agreeing with Melissa Tiers and others more that it can be more useful to work at a state level or behavioral level, aligning state and behavioral response to desired outcomes, which ends up putting the unconscious mind in alignment with the values system at play automatically. For me, questions like “how do you want to feel” and “what would be a better way to respond in this situation” are much more where the rubber meets the road, and honors the non-hierarchical way that the nervous system works.
In short, I’ve found that I’m much more aligned with my values, and able to help clients be the same, by dropping the orientation to values or self actualization and instead working at the smaller chunk level of states and behaviors, allowing the brain to generalize out from each instance of changework. It’s been fun to witness as it happens 😊
Anyways, pardon my digression. I love the work you’re up to! Keep it up! This is an important conversation you’re having.
Dave Jolley what you are referring is not the Unconscious mind rather the Subconscious mind..
Subconscious mind is on autopilot mode roughly about 95-97% in our workaday life transactions & only 3-5% transactions are performed by us Consciously that's why we are layman just pretending to be a intellectual..
Doesn't basic neurochemistry in many ways prove it wrong? Some examples I ponder around is: If you eat food you appreciate, you will release dopamine and thus feel self-realization because in some way because of how dopamine effects our felling of pleasure, motivation and reward?
I feel how added sugar, salts and fat in foods influence our brain in many ways shows this as a clear proof. Drugs also have effects that are similar to this in many ways.
I feel the same happens it the correlative actions between oxytocin, serotonin, nor-epinephrine and dopamine in social situations and maybe especially in a job context, it's seems likely right?
I feel Maslow was right many ways as you said, and his thoughts are in no way plain wrong, but shouldn't the system be an interactive wheel instead of a pyramid? with spokes even?
My concern about this subject is that any healthcare educational book that's used in education both higher and intermediate contains this pyramid as the base concept of how "Humans work". I feel this set a standard for how we from time to time really fail in how we deal with both psychiatric disorders and crime alike.
Taking a look at ICD-10 And DSM-5 and how neither of these diagnosis systems is made to comprehend demographic or cultural differences it makes it even worse, since WHO has made most of the world dependent of these systems to classify diagnosis. Some of the diagnosis should as I see it even not be classified as diagnosis, but mere symptoms.
I am a behaviorist which has no formal education, but have served professionally in occupations that normally demand higher education and still I've been the head behaviorist and team leader. All my studies on this subject is what you would call home or self studies. But nevertheless I feel I clearly see flaws here that especially basic neurochemistry could prove wrong or at least a little different. And the differences seems crucial in the way we treat one another, bot in daily life, in psychiatry and within criminal corrections.
Is this just me?
I am from Norway by the way, so laws are a little different here, but still the definitions we emphasize on throughout this subject is more or less the same.
Sounds like you have a healthy skepticism for these things, which I agree with.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs assumes intelligence and environmental stability.
That being said, yes, some people will pursue the needs out-of-order, but they will compromise their survival. If you compromise survival needs for socio-sexual/esteem needs, you will not survive. That doesn't mean that people out there wont get the Darwin award! Also, as the the government interferes with the marketplace, it changes our behavior incentives and our environment. A true hierarchy of needs presupposes a stainable government governing system without debt/deficits.
Can't say that I agree. Instead of repeating what I've said in the video, when encountering something like Maslow's pyramid, ask yourself is it useful? Is it practical? Can I apply it in my life? For me, and most people when they're honest with themselves, the answer to all three questions is no. However, if you honestly feel like it is useful, use it. I'm not here to take that away from anyone.
the fact that pyramid priorities change might be Maslows very point . let's say there is a crisis and the pyramid changes. Our job is to try and reconstruct the pyramid and having an ordered structure helps. i believe the pyramid is meant to be idyillic . Life seems to be chaotic i think the pyramid helps in countering total chaos.
I think Maslow included priority changes within his pyramid but I don't think he saw anything outside the pyramid. Every context you step into you will have a different hierarchy of values, which are usually unconscious until you elicit them. When you elicit them you will become much more flexible and adaptable to any situation and you will be much more likely to fulfill your values because you know what they are. Maslow's pyramid is a nice ideal. Use it to inspire you, but don't try to fit yourself into it or reconstruct it every time it falls apart. You'll only frustrate yourself. You're a living being. The pyramid is just a concept.
Life Mastery Gym Thanks for your insights. I think your absolutely right. I’m currently going through some new found anxiety and priorities have definitely changed for me. I’m currently reading a self help psychology book that suggests we have core emotions and inhibiting emotions. Our core emotions are for primal survival and our inhibiting emotions block our primal emotions for a higher level of life I.e. confidence, security, connection with others. It’s not a pyramid but I see similarities. I wonder if you might have some insight on that. Thanks again
So why os the pyramid still on text books if its false ????
I don't know. What textbooks is Maslow's Pyramid on?
Definitely a cool video with good advice, but I think most of your arguments are a misinterpretation of what "hierarchy" was intended to mean in the context of Maslow's work. A lot of what you're saying about how people "actually work" is what Maslow's Hierarchy was intended to convey; particularly, the hierarchy does not pose that one should focus on all levels at all times, nor that one should somehow be able to disregard lower levels once they have been satisfied. Simplified to an extreme level, Maslow's Hierarchy basically says "If you don't satisfy the body's needs for survival, then satisfying needs for fulfillment will be extremely difficult - because you will be desperate to avoid harm or death."
A "gap" very much worth considering though, is how desperation can often be highly motivating, and how escaping poverty (satisfying both physiological and safety needs) can "feel" fulfilling, even though it's actually just a liberating, stable baseline.
Thank you. I appreciate the kind words and your thoughtful comment.
Regardless of how exactly Maslow meant it (which he continued to revise until he gave up on asserting it as a model of how we function) hierarchy is hierarchy and we just don't function that that way. I can agree with you that if we don't have the basic needs met to survive we will be primarily preoccupied with getting those needs met before anything else. After that, Maslow's model falls apart. One thing correct in a model does not make a model correct nor useful. And that is the challenge I propose to you: How has Maslow's model made you more effective in your life like solving problems, achieving goals, becoming more fulfilled, etc.? If it hasn't, then it's useless. It's just there to muse about and that's fine if you enjoy that. Like I mention in the video, it's a nice ideal, but it is so inaccurate that it isn't really useful. I've yet to find anyone who can apply it practically.
@@DamonCart It poses a structured means by which I can evaluate balance in my life, and has helped me recognize and accept many necessary changes in my life.
- The need to eat is literally something I struggle to prioritize when I'm "in the zone" - prioritizing any one of the top three needs over the bottom one, because they feed my "soul."
- Understanding the need to escape/avoid poverty or debt as a priority over higher needs has driven me to set related goals to stick to. Knowing I had a plan in place, which I was following, made it easier to pursue higher needs without feeling bogged down with the feeling that I could be doing more for my lower needs.
- Prioritizing love and belonging - connection - has made it easier to communicate with those around me, and thereby easier to attain recognition/esteem and self-actualization with the aid of social support.
- Prioritizing recognition of my work (though I tend not to visibly link my identity to it) has helped me to understand how to be a more effective, self-actualized version of myself - particularly in my contributions to others' lives.
In order to actually develop the specific details of my plans and goals, I've used or invented a wide variety of structures depending on the situation - none of which were Maslow's Hiererchy. The hierarchy merely helped me bring a useful "order" to the previously haphazard priorities in my life; before I had to really face adulthood on my own, I was just focusing on the "most recent" needs having had a poor sense for what the "most urgent" needs were. Once I had a useful way to think about prioritization, I was much better able to find the right resources for how to satisfy those prioritized needs - at which point a lot of work like yours becomes very helpful.
I suspect that much of what Maslow proposed may just be more intuitive for you, hence not really seeing as much value in it.
You're kind of asking the wrong questions here when you say "How has Maslow's model made you more effective in your life like solving problems, achieving goals, becoming more fulfilled, etc.?" It's only indirectly about making you more effective, it's about prioritizing where you need to focus on finding effective solutions - it prioritizes problems to be answered, but it doesn't provide answers. You can call that a "gap", but I think that's expecting it to cover more than it was intended to.
-That's not an example of the first level of Maslow's pyramid. If you forget to eat clearly you have the luxury of forgetting about it and when you do remember to eat you can put your hands on food immediately. Examples of what Maslow meant is ancient hunter and gatherers who had to spend most of their waking hours finding food or people during the great depression who had no job, no resources, and a lot fewer social safety nets than we have today. In other words, your survival is not being threatened.
-This is a very basic understanding that most people who have never heard of Maslow know. You're not connecting the dots to his pyramid.
-Same thing. Also, aspiring for recognition will limit you. You have no control over whether or not people recognize your efforts. If you're dependent on that for your self-esteem you will always be insecure because you don't control it and it can be taken from you.
-This is the second time you've used the term self-actualization. What does that mean exactly? It's a nebulous term. It's not an endpoint or a destination. There is no arriving at it.
You mention Maslow's Pyramid gave you a useful order but you don't describe how you applied it. I can explain values elicitation and how to apply it to give you a useful order when it comes to pursuing fulfillment, but I don't think it is possible to do the same with Maslow's Pyramid. This is the gap I referred to in the video. Maslow's work sounded great to me when I first read it but I couldn't figure out how to apply it. Knowing my mentor was mentored by Maslow, I decided to ask him. His answer surprised me. He told me there is no applying it, that my instinct was correct. It's not useful if it can't be applied.
I'm not asking the wrong questions unless you're objective is to preserve a theory rather than test it. Why preserve it if it cannot stand up to testing?
"The only reason to study philosophy is to become a better person. Anything else, as Nietzsche said, is merely a "critique of words by means of other words."
-Ryan Holiday from The Lives of the Stoics
@@DamonCart Look, you make good videos with lots of great advice in them, but it's clear from your responses here that you have a habit of projecting - a habit of assuming everybody thinks just like you do, or should. As I've pointed out already, I get the impression that the intent of Maslow's Hierarchy is intuitive for you - which is awesome - but it's not like that for everybody. Maslow's Hierarchy is a tool to be used for a particular job, your arguments against it are the equivalent of stating that hammers are useless because screwdrivers exist.
I'm not trying to convince you that Maslow's Hierarchy is right for you, I'm just pointing out that it's not wrong for everybody.
To address each of your response points:
- Forgetting to eat absolutely is an appropriate example, even if it is not an obvious one. Even if it was a bad example though, none of your response here counters the fact that learning about Maslow's Hierarchy did help me break that habit - which is what you asked about. Another example that you may find more appropriate is a habit of my younger self to prioritize connection over sustenance; I would literally spend money on activities with friends to the point that I didn't have enough left to buy groceries until my next paycheck without over drafting my account; if I over drafted, this would incur fines and result in snowballing financial insecurity. Was this poor planning on my part? Yes, absolutely - that's my point. Did learning about Maslow's Hierarchy help me to better prioritize these things - yes, absolutely. Is Maslow's Hierachy the only thing that could have help me do that? No, of course not. Unf*ck Yourself, had it existed at the time, could also have done a pretty good job, and so might have some of your videos.
--- I should also point out here, that your presumptive statement "your survival is not being threatened" indicates a lot about why you're missing the point. To put it simply, not eating causes hunger, and growing hunger cascades difficulties into fulfillment of any other needs - the cause of the hunger is irrelevant to its need for prioritization. You're viewing Maslow's Hierarchy as a proposed solution when its intent is merely to prioritize problems (needs).
- Did you really just "most people" dismiss me? I mean this in all seriousness everything okay? This isn't the kind of thing I'd expect from somebody with your apparent sense of social responsibility. That said, I do agree that it is a very basic understanding - I was providing an example with nuance.
- Recognition comes in many forms. In the context of capitalism (which is the context Maslow was primarily focused on), recognition can literally come in the form of an equitable payment - in fact, any other form of recognition in an employee-employer relationship is arguably just a diversion from devalued labor. That said, I assume you're referring more to a form of recognition more equivalent to "appreciation" or "fame" - these are what Maslow called "lower" forms of self-esteem or recognition. Maslow's "higher" forms are more like "accomplishment" - appreciation for the development and application of one's own abilities regardless of external recognition. So... as I pointed out previously, you're arguing against your assumptions about the hierarchy, not the actual details of it - which clearly agree with you here.
- I 100% agree that "self-actualization" is a nebulous and misleading term - but it's a headline, not a description. It should definitely be a better headline. In fact, one of the criticisms of Maslow's Hiearchy on the Wikipedia entry rightly points this out, stating: "The term 'self-actualization' may not universally convey Maslow's observations; this motivation refers to focusing on becoming the best person that one can possibly strive for in the service of both the self and others. Maslow's term of self-actualization might not properly portray the full extent of this level; quite often, when a person is at the level of self-actualization, much of what they accomplish in general may benefit others, or 'the greater good'." I think that also answers your question about what the term was intended to mean, and what I meant by it - it even has citations you can dig into if you don't believe the statements are backed up. In my case, a lot of "self-actualization" has taken the form of helping others who struggled with the same things I did when I was younger - the most straightforward example is that, having attained financial stability and excess, I am able to help others who are struggling financially (plenty of opportunities for that, especially this year).
- "you don't describe how you applied it" - If you don't see any of what I've said as a description of that, there's not much I can say without repeating myself. You claim it has shortcomings because you hold it to an inappropriate standard - you want it to be a solution to problems beyond the struggle some face to organize problems. It is a filing cabinet for bills, not the payments.
- Saying that you can describe how to apply values elicitation to provide order in the pursuit of fulfillment doesn't counter Maslow's Hierarchy; since fulfillment is a part of the hierarchy, you're basically just saying you have a solution for how to attain fulfillment when the need for it is prioritized. Whether you prioritize in alignment with Maslow's Hierarchy, or intuition, or any other tool doesn't invalidate Maslow's proposal. They aren't mutually exclusive in applicability.
- To say that you don't think it's possible to effectively apply Maslow's Hierarchy is an obviously true statement about yourself, but not a counterpoint. It's very possible that it's a tool that just doesn't work for you. The more accurate argument to be made is that Maslow was wrong to pose it as a universally applicable tool - you're evidence that he was wrong in that regard. Frankly, I get the impression that the whole thing went to his head and he over asserted it - a common and unscientific mistake of ego and fixed-mindset.
- "Why preserve it if it cannot stand up to testing?" Anecdotally, it has stood up to my testing - as I already described - therefore it has at least been valid for me and my situation.
- Your quoting Ryan Holiday quoting Nietzsche is contextually confusing. Nietzsche was a philosopher and, arguably, so is Holiday; Maslow was a phychologist. Nietzsche suffered from similar ego-blindness; comparing Thus Spoke Zarathustra to actual details of his life will clearly reveal as much, and without fully discrediting either. That said, I strongly feel that philosophy has well-rooted psychological value, and that psychology commonly drives philosophy, but they are not the same forms of study or practice. One is observational, while the other is speculative - but both are valuable. The assertion that study of either is frivolous, as your use of this quote implies, is a very narrow perspective - the study of literally anything for any reason has value, even if the value is maligned or irresponsible.
We're not getting anywhere. You've made many assumptions about me and about my arguments that are incorrect and at this point I don't see the value in going through every one of them making the corrections to have you respond with more incorrect assertions about what I'm writing.
If Maslow's Pyramid is nothing more than a filing cabinet, as you mentioned, you've proved my point in this video. The Pyramid is a nice ideal. If you find it helpful that way, I'm not trying to take it away from you. My point is the model is inaccurate to the point of not being useful enough to negate the harm it could cause a person who tries to squeeze themselves (a being far too sophisticated) to fit in such a rigid hierarchy.
You have not demonstrated how this model can be directly applied to solve problems, find solutions, or in general make life better. Just because it makes you feel good to organize your problems this way is not enough. What good is it to organize problems in such a way if it doesn't help you solve them?
If you want to organize anything, you first have to elicit what is there to be organized and be familiar with what's creating the disorganization. Maslow's Pyramid imposes an organization as if it is universal when clearly it is not and Maslow eventually admitted it before he passed.
Tnq sir very helpful video..I am from India.
You're welcome.
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There’s nothing wrong with the model. In fact, you’re proving the efficacy of his model in this video! This is simply throwing shade so you can make a video. Maslow created the pyramid as a generality, not a “rigid” model as you continue calling it. I think you don’t like the word hierarchy, but you live and will always live in a hierarchy; within yourself and externally in the world. Advice to people watching this - study Maslow, not someone riding his coattails and then casting aspersions on his method.
Okay then why don't you give me an example of how you applied this model, in a practical sense, to solve a problem, transform yourself, self-actualize, or make your life better?
You can't because it really has no practical application because not only is it too general, it's not how human beings function.
How exactly am I proving the efficacy of this model in this video?
Maslow himself conceded, toward the end of his life, that his model was inaccurate and did not reflect how we truly function.
Yes, we do function through hierarchies of what is important to us, but those hierarchies vary from context to context. There is no one, universal hierarchy that sits over all of mankind as Maslow attempted to define.
I studied Maslow and I tried to bridge the gap between this model and Neuro Linguistic Programming. When I discovered that my NLP mentor, Steve Andreas, had been mentored by Maslow, I asked him how to reconcile the enormous gap between the two. He told me that the gap is real and that there's no bridging the two because Maslow's model is too flawed. And that started a new direction in the mentorship.
I look forward to your answers to my questions.
@@DamonCart I don’t view the hierarchy of needs as something that will help you transform. To me, it is a roadmap for consciousness and reality. At one time in my life, I was struggling at work and making inadequate money to support my family. My ‘safety and security’ was being challenged for years. Therefore, I couldn’t ascend higher or linearly to another step. I worked harder and became aware of my limitations. Then I became more successful at work, accumulated more security, and subsequently I started changing. My mind was free to realize who I was, and a new side of myself was discovered. Emerging creativity, deepening thought, and a stronger connection to that which guides me. But realizing this wouldn’t have been possible in my previous world. Therefore, he’s right - at least in my life. And this is only one example.
@@Being-is-Becoming do you honestly think that if it weren't for Maslow's model that you would still be stuck in that situation, that you would not have been able to move forward without it? Be honest.
If you think yes, then you should be able to give a more precise and detailed explanation of how exactly that happened.
I can explain step by step how certain NLP processes, through direct application, helped me solve problems, get unstuck, and transform myself.
Maslow's model has no direct application because it is too general and it does not represent the human experience accurately. I know because I tried repeatedly to directly apply it in my life and all I got was frustration because I couldn't squeeze myself into such a rigid hierarchy. No one can. And if you could, it would do more harm than good. Fortunately I had a mentor who revealed this to me, which freed me from the frustration of trying to do something that's impossible.
The reason people are attracted to this model is because it's simple and easy to understand. But humans aren't simple and we're not easy to understand and we are definitely not linear. If we were, psychology would not be an ongoing study. It would simply be a roadmap as you have called Maslow's model. It's not a roadmap of consciousness and reality. Consciousness and reality are far too complex to be simplified down to a map.
Like I say in the video, Maslow's model is a nice ideal and if you feel like you get some benefit from holding that ideal loosely, do it. I won't argue with that. But too often, people like me, will actually try to apply it in order to self-actualize. What will follow will be nothing but frustration and likely the person will blame themselves for not living up to an impossible ideal. I seriously doubt that Maslow would have wanted that for anyone, which is why he eventually conceded that the model is an oversimplification and it has not applicable or practical use.
Una reintepretacion muy forzada para mi gusto. Mucho para discutir en un chat.
Como es eso?
This summary of Maslow's theory is crude and inaccurate. His philosophy was far closer to what the speaker is actually saying. Just read Maslow for yourself, especially 'The Farther Reaches of Human Nature'.
Why don't you tell me specifically what I got wrong in this video?
@@DamonCart sorry I thought I replied. Essentially, I read Maslow as a much more sophisticated thinker than the straw man I think you construct here. I read him in a heterarchic way anyway
@@positivepolitics1 my mentor was mentored by Maslow. Much of what I say in this video was taught to me by him. Basically Maslow had a very good general idea, but what he created didn't deliver. I'm not attacking Maslow for that. I'm just pointing out that many people try to squeeze themselves into his hierarchy pyramid and get frustrated when it doesn't work and blame themselves for it. The problem is not the person. It's the model. It's too rigid. It's a nice ideal, but it's not something you can apply and execute on.
If I have to give something to get something you're not giving it away. Like my email for your not free video. You lack honesty, honestly 😒
I know. You're so right. I like to go to grocery stores where they give out free samples of food and demand the whole meal for free because all they're really trying to do is get my money.
This video I made is valued at $10.99 (even thought you watched it for free) and your email is valued at $4.97 so you actually owe me $6.02. But since you totally caught me being dishonest, give me your physical address and I'll mail you a copy of the free 4 part video series that you want and if you like it, I'll come over to your place and coach you for free. Deal?
@@DamonCart I'm good. Your video is nothing more than a commercial. Data is the new oil. I don't owe anyone anything. Check your attention whore shadow
Ps. The sample people are not stating that they will give you anything for free and I don't participate in those either because they eff up traffic at the store.
@@sherececocco you mean the same people with the sign that says 'Free Samples'?
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