Self Actualization

I used to think Maslow’s hierarchy of needs have some flaw. According to the behaviorist, there are stages in human needs. We only yearn for one need after fulfilling the previous one. The lowest need of human is physiological needs: everything a human needs to stay alive. After filling our stomach, then we can think about how safe our environment is. Poor people can live in slump area because they don’t bother thinking about the safety when they’re hungry. The next stage is social needs. Haven’t you heard a lot of people say they can get married after secure a job? The three needs contributes to the next needs, which is esteem. How much we’re fed, how important our job, who is our spouse somehow leads to respect and status in community. I find this needs often the finish line for a lot of people, because they’re greedy. No matter how rich and big their family are, they still long for fame and fortune.

Source: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

That’s why the ultimate needs, Self-actualization is hard to achieve.

A lot argues that the using hierarchy doesn’t fit real needing system. People can long for love and belonging even though he barely have money to support himself. You see some people married young and still living with the parents. It means the needs don’t follow order, because each person desire different things.

However, this theory can’t be judge by material assessment as it lays in each individual’s perception. One might chase certain job even though it barely cover its basic needs, because he perceived the psychological needs as enough. One can’t also judge he needs BMW or MiuMiu skirt just because someone else think it’s basic needs. It’s all in the head. So, one can be poor, living in slump, have no family, hardly known by anyone, but feeling enough (self-actualization).

I connect this self actualization with behavior of no attachment. In office relationship, where a lot of connection threads by transactional interaction, self-actualized people might look indifferent. When giving gifts, he rejects. When giving help, he’s not automatically returns. When give help, he doesn’t need returns.

Just doing your job well without expecting other to help me back is rare. People doing job because they want something. Why do I have to beg for your help when it’s your job to do?