Maslow's pyramid

Abraham Maslow, one of the main exponents of the humanistic psychology current, defends in his theory of human motivation (1943) that there is a hierarchy of needs. He represents them in a pyramid that is known by his surname, and is studied and used to explain what motivates people's behavior.

In his theory he proposes that we have basic needs that we must satisfy, and as we cover these, we develop other higher needs. These needs motivate us to act and our behavior is the means to satisfy them.

Currently it is widely used in different fields such as psychological therapies, coaching, education, advertising, economics, business, personal life, among others.

Levels and hierarchy in Maslow's Pyramid

• First level: Physiological needs. Biological requirements such as breathing, food, water, rest, sex.

• Second level: Security needs. Physical and financial security such as a job, health, home, resources, family.

• Third level: Affiliation needs. Interpersonal relationships of belonging, affection, intimacy and love such as friends, partners, social groups, religious groups.

• Fourth level: Recognition needs. This includes both esteem needs (self-recognition, confidence, independence, dignity) and reputation needs (respect from others, prestige, status, power).

• Fifth level: Self-realization needs. Including morality, creativity, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts, problem solving.

• They are organized hierarchically, the first place at the base and so ascending to the fifth level at the top. The needs collected in the first four levels are deficiency needs, since they appear when we lack one of them. The dissatisfaction of these needs is what drives us to act, but once they are satisfied, the motivation to obtain more will diminish.

• The needs of the fifth level, which occupy the top of the pyramid, are called needs of being or self-actualization.

• The highest priority needs are in the first two groups, which would occupy the base of the pyramid. When these are met, we would seek to satisfy the higher needs. In this way people will always aspire to more, trying to climb the rungs of the pyramid. This way we stay motivated and progress according to our capacity and the actions we perform.

Conclusions that can be drawn from this theory

The acquisition of financial means and the relationship of these with happiness and well-being is more important for those who try to cover the needs of the first levels. The higher the income, the less strong this link is, since it is assumed that they are already satisfied, and therefore its influence diminishes.

Higher needs may be traded off depending on the priorities of the individual. Achieving a certain status or recognition may be considered more important than having a strong group of friends or a romantic relationship.

Wants can become needs. A want is something you want but as such is not relevant to your life. When you have already satisfied a need but want more of the same and feel bad about not getting what you want, you are transforming that desire or drive into a need.

An uncontrollable desire to satisfy a need may hide a lack, that is, you actually have a more important need that you have not satisfied and you may create dependency behaviors in order to compensate for that lack. This situation of distraction can be conscious or not. Until the real need is not satisfied, a long-term emotional balance will not be achieved.

Needs are personal (they