Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

(One more atttempt to get things straight)

From: ANTIcarrot
To: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 5:09 PM
Subject: RE: [spacesettlers] Re: Boys and Girls in Space

John wrote:

.... Maybe 10 million light bulb users don't appreciate the family values inherent in getting up at the crack of dawn and going out into the freezing winter to get another log for the fireplace? They probably don't, and I see no reason why they'd want to ...

Your statement has got me thinking. I agree with you, there is no necessity to go out in the cold to collect logs when there is no necessity to do so. But let us take a hypothetical case where we were able to prove that going out in the cold to collect logs would be beneficial to us, would we do it?

..........................*
.......................*....*
....................*.........* -------- Self Actualization
..................*********
................*.................*---------- Social Needs
.............***************
...........*...........................* ------ Basic Needs
.........********************

Most of us would have heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: not a very precise concept, but a very popular one and the best we have at the moment to map the road ahead as we aspire to better things. In this concept American psychologist Abraham Masow (1908 - 1970) visualized that human needs are a moving target. Humans first give priority to their basic need - food and shelter and meeting their safety requirements. When these needs are met they look for social needs - the need for love and affection and the need to be recognized for their contribution to the social set up. Only when these two lower needs are met do they start to self actualize - reach for the stars so to speak - where they don't constantly look back to obtain sanction from the prevailing social standards, but rather base their action on their independent assessment about what is desirable and undesirable. In the self actualization phase an individual would be prepared to go out in the cold and collect firewood if he were to conclude that he would benefit from the activity. But we have a problem out here, which is not immediately visible when we look at Maslow's Hierarchy from the front. If we were to take a vertical section of this diagram and rotate it, this is what we would probably see:

Basic needs................... Self Actualization needs
..............*******..........*********
.........................*.........*
.........................*******
......................Social Needs

When we come to Social Needs, there is a huge hole in the ground where there should have been solid earth. We can be trapped by our social needs and people who are smart can take advantage of our weakness and exploit us, so it is very unlikely that we will ever get out of the rut. A very dangerous situation indeed; It is not surprising then, that Maslow found only 2% of us are likely to self actualize. A miserable number if we are to build Habs in space.

It is possible that in Maslow's time the problem was not very acute. But since then we have graduated to more modern concepts like Market Economy (read, the market must expand at all costs, and goods and services, many of a dubious nature must be thrust on people to keep this great engine chugging. We are also told that the market is always right, even when our commonsense tells us that it could well be wrong). and Globalization ( read, everyone should be doing what the developed nations are doing - since they have the smartest economists and scientists in town ). In a situation where we are literally being lead like bullocks with ropes strung through our noses, is it possible to Self Actualize?

Where is the need to self actualize in a Market Economy. The media reminds us constantly what is 'cool', which of course we must follow ( to meet our social needs). In India, we are now being bombarded with ads on T.V. which tell us that our hair (black normally) is not the right colour, so we need to paint it all the colours of the rainbow. Based on the needs of the market economy it is no longer important for Americans to take care of their own sick, so Nurses have to be imported from all over the world.The market economy has made it more or less clear that it is infra dig to do any kind of manual work. It is infra dig to be an engineer and get one's hands dirty, so in America, technically qualified people are working to break the secret of the stock exchange and the hottest profession is becoming a Lawyer. In India highly qualified engineers find it more profitable to make a living taking telephone calls for Americans. Ten years from now no one in India will be able to design even a nut and bolt (only a slight exageration). Do we see Space Habs in all this?

I have a personal interest in this phenomenon; not to make people go out and collect logs but something on a similar note. I would like to persuade people, for instance, to avoid wearing shoes whenever possible, as shoes will almost certainly ruin the alignment of the skeletal system. It is better that games like tennis and football are played without shoes - the game will be slower but it will ensure good health. Any chance of my getting through? I would also like to persuade people to learn to carry moderate loads on their heads. If you come to India you will find people carrying loads on their heads. It is one of the most graceful sights imaginable. But then can we persuade our brothers across the seas, who view Indians as naked fakirs and snake charmers to give such ideas a try? I would also like to propose that it is important we introduce some kind of meaningful physical activity in our lives, since our body demands such activity. For instance we could try to reduce the mechanized component in agriculture so that everyone can get some fresh air. Is it likely that we will succeed in convincing people regarding this?

Imagine what would happen if we learnt to live simpler and healthier lives: see www.humanposture.com . Our modern economy would be in temporary peril, as 10 trillion $ from the total of $ 40 trillion would evaporate - two trillion $ from savings in health care and another eight trillion $ from savings in all kinds of modern aids which we don't need, which simply imperil our health. But this would be a temporary setback. The economy would rebound when we started to put in the massive investments required to protect our environment ( not because the market desires it, but because we as thinking human beings desire it), and of course we would have the energy to move on to the stars.

Taking a liberty with Maslow's Hierarchy of needs - if we may - we could propose the following changes:

.................................*
..............................*....*
............................*........*-------- Self Actualization
........ -------------- BBBBBBB--------- b a r r i e r
........!................*..............*---------- Social Needs
........!..............************
........!............*.....................*------ Basic Needs
........!..........****************
........-->....!..............................!------- Phantom zone
...............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let us Introduce a barrier between Social Needs and Self Actualization needs. People who get caught in the morass of Social Needs, even as they think they are graduating to Self Actualization, may actually find themselves transported to a phantom zone which may have an ambience below even that of 'Basic Needs'.

Selvaraj

P.S. Should not be construed that I am opposed to Market based economy, only, it should not be used as a magic mantra.