We would all benefit from having a sound set of guiding principles in our lives, and for many developing these is an ongoing process. As we grow physically and mentally our guiding principles need to be adapted and refined. The uncertainty from a lack of guiding principles can cause unnecessary friction in our mental fabric, as we struggle to know which way to turn in challenging moments.
If you’re struggling to find a purpose in life, or are in need of some foundational guidelines on which to base your beliefs and principles, then you could do a lot worse than contemplating Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow was an American Psychologist who created Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which is a theory that prioritises human needs, starting with basic survival, culminating in self-actualisation (or self-transcendence as Dr Scott Barry Kaufman refers to it).
This is often portrayed as a pyramid of needs. Maslow himself never illustrated it this way.
Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman looked at this in a different way using the same principles and came up with another analogy, that of a sailboat.
We have certain needs that must be met to stay afloat. Only when these are secure can we unfurl our sails and move in the direction that the winds of growth and exploration take us.
In Kaufman’s model the hull represents security and the sail represents growth.
Security
Safety, connection and self-esteem. These are the foundations of anyone’s character. When these are shaky the whole boat rocks.
“With holes in your boat, you can’t go anywhere. All of your energy and focus is directed toward increasing the stability of the boat. The human needs that comprise the boat are safety, connection, and self-esteem — security needs that, under good conditions, work together toward greater stability.”
Growth
“Even under adverse conditions, we find the potential for momentum: the sail.”
Kaufman continues;
“Ultimately, in order to grow, we need to open up our sail and be vulnerable against the inevitable winds and waves of life. We can still move in our most deeply valued direction, even among the unknown of the sea.”
Dr Kaufman looked deep into Maslow’s work and identified the characteristics of self-actualisation that are still relevant today.
The passages listed below are Kaufman’s distillation of Maslow’s work into 10 principles most relevant to today.
The list reads like a great guide to how to live your life. The principles could form a foundation for your beliefs, an ideal to strive for, of the body of your daily affirmations. Use them to get your mind pointed in the right direction and focussed on what is important to you for your self development and growth.
The Principles
If you’re looking for something substantial to contemplate and make up the bulk of your daily mantras, these sacred utterances would be a good starting point;
- Continued Freshness of Appreciation
I can appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy, however stale these experiences may have become to others.
- Acceptance
I accept all of my quirks and desires without shame or apology.
- Authenticity
I can maintain my dignity and integrity even in environments and situations that are undignified.
- Equanimity
I tend to take life’s inevitable ups and downs with grace, acceptance, and equanimity.
- Purpose
I feel a great responsibility and duty to accomplish a particular mission in life.
- Efficient Perception of Reality
I am always trying to get at the real truth about people and nature.
- Humanitarianism
I have a genuine desire to help the human race.
- Peak Experiences
I often have experiences in which I feel new horizons and possibilities opening up for myself and others.
- Good Moral Intuition
I can tell ‘deep down’ right away when I’ve done something wrong.
- Creative Spirit
I have a generally creative spirit that touches everything I do.
Conclusion
Whilst, according to Maslow, you are required to have tended to your basic survival needs before you can progress onto the final level to self actualisation, it will do no harm to contemplate these to point you in the right direction and give you a glimpse of the final goal.
Try integrating these into your values and belief system, and keep them as concepts in your mind to return to again and again.
