Personality Theory: Abraham Maslow Essay

Of altogether the psychologists and their theories, the one I lift more or less evoke and believe the well-nigh in is Abraham Maslow. I believe his hierarchy of of necessity is real and that people do fall in one of the aims of his gain. about of us start at a arse level in life and strive to reach a higher(prenominal) level of financial and educational stability along with a satisfying c arer. We all defy elemental of necessity in life and once we carry these we heave the ladder to higher achievements in life.Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who studied the Humanistic aspects of psychology. He became interested in psychology after learning about fast one Watson and his contributions to the behavioral theory. In 1943, Maslow created a pyramid he called the Hierarchy of Needs. This pyramid was based on a persons basic level needs to the higher needs in ones life.Maslow disapproved of behaviorism and later on took a similar direction as Freud and his writi ngs. He accepted the existence of the unconscious but, he opposed Freuds condemnation that the greater part of who we are is hidden past our consciousness. Maslow thought that for the closely part we are aware of our actions and that without impediments in our life that we all could fetch psychologically fit people with a greater understanding of whom we are and better able to accept the world we live in. In areas that Freud maxim pessimism or negative behavior in a persons life, Maslow looked for more positives in mankind.Maslow believed that we are all born with accepted needs and without meeting these needs a person was sure to die. The first and bottom level of his hierarchy was physiological needs much(prenominal) as warmth, shelter, and nutrient. physiologic needs were concerned with a biological balance and homeostasis or equilibrium. Without these basic needs a person would non be able to thrive.The import levels of the pyramid were for security needs. These included living in a in effect(p) area away from any danger or physical threats. This is most often found in children who need the protection of their parents from any harm. These dickens bottom levels of the pyramid are also where in the workplacemost people start out at. Most people need to find work to create a safe loving home with food and warmth to limit themselves and their children from harm. The third level deals with social needs such as love, friendship and family needs. many an otherwise(prenominal) people spend a living looking for belonging and love in their life. This third level focuses on a desire to be accepted by others and to fit in and feel the homogeneous we produce a place in this world. Many young people struggle through this period of time stressful to find them and not really knowing who they can trust and not trust. The fourth level of the pyramid deals with Ego needs and self respect.It focuses on the need for self-esteem and respect from others. A person likes to feel like he or she has made something of them and have achieved success in all they do. We all like to strive for higher careers and increase our knowledge in the world while at the same time insureking self-reliance in life. The fifth level of Maslows hierarchy is self-actualization. This level deals with the person and knowing they have used their full potential in life. At this level people become fully functional and act rigorously on their own volition and at the same time have a healthy personality.The fifth level is the hardest of all levels to achieve. To honestly be self-actualized essence to really know who we are, where we belong in society, and to feel like we have accomplished all that we have set out to achieve. Self-actualization means to no longer feel disgrace or remorse, or in time hatred, but to believe in the world and see human personality as naturally good. Many people in their lifetime do not reach this final level of Maslows hierarchy.Each lev el of Maslows hierarchy can be attributed to stages in a persons functional life. I see employees who are struggling to make ends meet and keep a roof over their heads and feed their families. I see other employees who are beyond this level and are striving for a higher education to climb the ladder in their careers. I also see the top leaders of my workplace on the highest levels of Maslows hierarchy. They know who they are and have all they need in life. Many of the retirees I have seen have reached the self-actualization that Maslow created on his pyramid while others remained at the fourth level of autonomy and self-worth. I have also seen those that have reached a certain level on the pyramid and taken one or dickens steps backward. I have seen others that have one foot on one level and the otheron the next level toilsome to reach and pull themselves up. Maslow was a great psychologist and I would like to someday see someone further his research.ReferencesAllPsych Online The Virtual Psychology Classroom retrieved on September 15, 2005 from http//allpsych.comDeeperMInd retrieved on September 15, 2005 from http//www.deepermind.com/maslow.htmLahey 2003 Introduction to Psychology Eighth adaptation UOPHX textMischel, W., Shoda, Y., & Smith, R. (2004). Introduction to personality Toward an integration (7th ed.). New York John Wiley and Sons.