Erin's Hierarchy of Needs

The five needs (Maslowe's Hierarchy of Human Needs)

• Physiological needs are to do with the maintenance of the human body. If we are unwell, then little else matters until we recover.
• Safety needs are about putting a roof over our heads and keeping us from harm. If we are rich, strong and powerful, or have good friends, we can make ourselves safe.
• Belonging needs introduce our tribal nature. If we are helpful and kind to others they will want us as friends.
• Esteem needs are for a higher position within a group. If people respect us, we have greater power.
• Self-actualization needs are to 'become what we are capable of becoming', which would our greatest achievement.

When students of psychology begin their studies, one of the first things they learn about is Abraham Maslow's study on human needs. Maslow's observations of people from around the world led him to conclude that human beings have five fundamental drives, related to five big needs. What do you 'need' in life? You might say you need a new car, a new couch, a new job. Maybe you need more money, nice

jewelry, and a flat screen TV. You may need many things - but if you think carefully about it, you will

probably realize that these items are not things that you want from your stomach or 'gut level', but rather things that you 'need' simply because of the culture you are living in, or your circle of friends. If you were born into a group of desert nomads, would you still have those same needs? It is likely that your needs would

entirely change. Your fellow wanderers wouldn't care much about the quality of your couch or the functions of your new cell phone, and neither would you. The five needs that Maslow is talking about are the five fundamental needs. Every human around the world has these needs, no matter what their culture is like. And nobody teaches us to have these needs. We are simply born with them, just like we are born with eyelashes and elbows. These five items can be arranged into a triangle or pyramid that is called our 'hierarchy of needs'.

http://changingminds.org/

According to my assessment (from PersonalityNet.com):

I feel 78% self-actualized. Love, or a feeling of belongingness, is my 3rd strongest strength.

Your answer patterns in the Personality Profile signal that like most people, your drive for love, level 3, is only one small step away from these essentials. You want other individuals to think and care about you. This is a normal position in which to have this need. According to Maslow, the need to feel 'needed' and connected to others is the third strongest instinct of almost every human being.

Your personality patterns indicate that your search for love, level 3, is something that you often combine or intermix with level 4, the search for self-esteem.

 
Surprised? Well, this is the real me (according to an assessment)!  There are several profiles available on Personality.Net.  Go take a look at them; you'll learn a lot about yourself. http://www.personalitynet.com/

Ms. Erin

So, what is the secret to happiness? Science says that happiness comes from knowing what your needs are, making sure that your goals are realistically tied to them, and going after them. In today's day and age, our needs for food, shelter, and safety are not hard to satisfy. It's the top part of the triangle, the need for love, esteem, and self-fulfillment that gives most people trouble. Since the nature, frequency, and quality of one's involvement with significant others is an essential factor in physical health and in the development of peaklevel happiness, it is important that we

devote sufficient time to figuring out what is important to us in our relationships.

According to the personality assessment, I'm noticing more and more that reaching my self-actualization, sense of wholeness, and connection to my environment, is more important than material possessions. I also have a strong desire to achieve and reach my potential. It appears that I've spent a great deal of time focusing on work/career, hobbies, activities in order to strive for Level 4 (Self-esteem). Althought this works well, I apparently need to go back down to Level 3 to finish building connectedness to partner, community, and friends.