Abraham Maslow

1908-1970

Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist born in Brooklyn, NY.  He taught at several universities in the New York area and perhaps best known for his belief in Humanistic Psychology.

His Hierarchy of Needs has been applied to many professional fields outside of psychology, including sociology, business, medicine, and others.  The Hierarchy is a set of five stages that each individual passes through in his or her search for Self-Actualization (See Below).  

He believed that we are driven to understand and accept ourselves as fully as possible, and are motivated to this end.  He also stated that nobody ever reaches the top of the pyramid and the goal should be getting as close as possible rather than achieving the top of the hierarchy.  As we progress through life, we are presented with obstacles that cause us to either grow or slip backward.  After which we can choose to either learn from the event and continue climbing or give up.  Despite the challenges of life, most people choose to continue their climb.