In psychology, the idea of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has been around for decades. The idea was originally proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943 and published in the Psychological Review. Later, Maslow extended the idea to include human curiosity. As a result, a hierarchy of needs emerged.
Safety needs
The need to feel safe and secure is one of the basic needs of mankind. It can manifest in various forms, including a desire for financial security, freedom from violence, and access to healthcare. This need is heightened in children, and it is especially important to them. However, it is not just children who need to feel safe. Adults also have this need.
According to Maslow, the failure to meet these needs can lead to a variety of psychological and physical consequences, including posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Ultimately, a lack of safety can lead to a life of insecurity and depression. The need to belong and be accepted can prevent feelings of isolation, loneliness, and depression, and can help us cope with stressful situations.
A secure job is one of the most basic needs of humans. Everyone wants a job that will keep them healthy and safe. Without a safe place to work, employees are not able to do their best work. Therefore, employers have many safety measures in place to ensure the well-being of their employees. A safe work environment could include fire breakdowns, ergonomic office furniture, and biometric scans to verify the identity of every employee.
Social and emotional connections are another essential aspect of a healthy life. Social needs are the last level of Maslow’s hierarchy, and they include relationships with family, friends, and groups. These relationships can include physical and emotional intimacy, and belonging to social groups can also fulfill these needs.
The understanding of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is valuable in both leadership and management. As leaders, we should strive to meet the needs of the people we lead. For example, a charity run can meet the social needs of a group, as it increases self-esteem. However, a charity run might not be sufficient to fulfill the safety needs of a group.
The first level is the physiological needs. It includes the necessities necessary for our survival. If these needs are not met, our body will not function properly. Therefore, a failure to meet the physiological needs prevents us from satisfying the higher levels of our self-actualization. The motivation for this need stems from our basic instinct to survive.
The second level is a sense of belonging. In other words, we need a safe place to stay and somewhere to live. The physical and social aspects of life are interrelated and cannot be separated. If we can’t fulfill these needs, we will feel depressed or unmotivated. This can lead to unhealthy relationships or physical illness, which can lead to poor mental health.
Physiological needs
The first level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs focuses on basic, physiological needs. These include shelter, clothing, and nourishment. They also include safety, air, and temperature regulation. On the next level, we consider our feelings of love, belonging, and mastery, which are all closely related to our needs for these things.
These need types are important to our survival. They also play a role in our internal motivation. According to Maslow’s theory, meeting these basic needs first will help us achieve higher levels of intrinsic satisfaction. Therefore, if you lack one of these needs, your body will attempt to meet it first.
However, Maslow’s theory is not universally accepted, and it does not account for selflessness, charity, or bravery. Likewise, the levels of Maslow’s hierarchy differ among cultures, depending on individual differences and resources in the region. It is also important to note that many individuals do not have the same set of needs.
The first level of Maslow’s hierarchy is the physiological one, which includes food, shelter, and air. It also includes security needs, including law and order, employment, and health. These two levels also include social needs, which include belongingness and intimacy. And there are higher-order needs, like esteem and power.
After meeting these basic needs, we can consider the safety needs. These needs are important because we seek predictability, safety, and control. These are all things that we can obtain through society. Social and financial security are examples of safety needs. The sense of belongingness to a community is another aspect of safety.
Social needs are primarily driven by our need to interact with others. This includes being a part of a social group and having friends. These relationships help us meet our physiological needs, but they also give us a sense of belonging and help us feel good about ourselves. These needs are met by fostering friendships, family bonds, and a job.
Once the physiological needs are satisfied, the next level of the hierarchy is related to our safety needs. We must ensure that we are safe, and if we are afraid or vulnerable, then we will be distracted from our ability to learn. This means that we must be safe physically and emotionally. Children with disabilities have a greater need for safety, but adult people are not immune to this need.
