According to a theory by Abraham Harold Maslow, an American psychologist in the early 20th century, human beings act to satisfy their basic needs and then progress sequentially from that level to the next, in a five-level hierarchy known as “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. “. Maslow described the first (lowest, most basic) level of need to be physiological (food, water, and shelter).
Once the first need is satisfied, a human’s attention logically turns to safety (the second level). For safety, humans desire a more permanent home, one that will withstand the elements and keep wild beasts and other humans away. Solve this level and one will realize that keeping all other humans out goes against the human need for belonging and love.
If you are successful in finding a partner, starting a family, and surrounded by friends, you may want to be recognized for your superior achievements among your peers. The fourth level has to do with esteem, enjoyment of respect and admiration among their peers. Finally, the pinnacle comes into play, the main need: self-realization. When one recognizes one’s talent and works to perfect it, one can self-actualize or improve oneself, regardless of natural and man-made obstacles. The expression “cream always rises to the top” applies, since no matter how much you stir the cream to mix it into a drink, you will get tired of doing it. The cream will rise back to the top of the cup.
Other psychologists have tried to prove or disprove Maslow’s theory, without success. Their assumption that needs are hierarchical has not been tested, and since there are no standard humans, standard test questions do not yield reliable and measurable results. Furthermore, there is the worrying assumption that all human beings individually seek what they want. Many humans seek what is good for humanity and will sacrifice for the good of all. This is especially true in times of disease, famine, war, and social unrest. People have been known to give their last dollar, their last drink of water, groceries, their bed, their car, just to help someone they think is in greater need or deserves it.
Web search Matthew 6: 7. Jesus’ disciple, Matthew, quoted this passage from Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount. It is a simple guide on how to have a conversation with God, in the form of prayer. Once one understands that God is real, that He loves us, and wants us to recognize Him as God, our needs can be met through prayer. Practice humility, charity, and generosity towards others. Begin your prayer to God with thanks for his grace in your life. God appreciates these qualities in you, because He has them. Through his son, Jesus, we are taught how to show God our worth. He allowed his son to be sacrificed for our shortcomings. Believe in Jesus. God will see no fault in you (Jesus paid for your sin). You will be welcomed to heaven, a level much higher than self-realization on Earth.