I want to tip my hat to Abraham Maslow as his famous Five Levels of Hierarchy of Needs theory has relevance to the Summit stage discussed in my previous “Inspire” blog.
My “Inspire” blog discusses how once you reach your Summit of Achievements, you are encouraged to go back down to the Valley Village where you came from and mentor Others so they too can reach their own Summit.
Abraham Harold Maslow (1903-1970) is best known for his Five Levels of Hierarchy of Needs theory about the fulfilling of innate human needs.
Basically there are 5 levels of human needs. I provide a self-explanatory diagram of his Hierarchy of Needs theory below:
Generally you need basic survival Physiological Needs before you can attain Safety and Security, before achieving Love and Belonging, before achieving Self-Esteem, and finally reaching Self-Actualisation (above image).
Maslow’s Self-Actualisation stage is the Summit stage in my “Inspire” blog.
But before Maslow died in 1970 of a heart attack while jogging in Menlo, California, he added a SIXTH STAGE – TRANSCENDENCE. Do google more on this.
We hear little of this stage because Maslow died soon after conceiving this added stage. Plus the fact that Academia don’t know how to deal with hocus pocus spiritual theories and findings. Still don’t.
Academics prefer to deal with what can be Seen, be Proven (Remember the beloved QED?) and be Replicated. Spirituality deals with Faith and the Unseen.
The Transcendence stage has tinges of spirituality and altruism to it. I like that. I drew the Transcendency stage (above image) in a spiritual cloud as it’s no longer about oneself but about Others.
The Transcendence stage is about giving oneself to something beyond oneself – Others.
The down arrows represent Giving Back to Others/Mentees/Subordinates.
Giving back to Others is the highest form of Human Consciousness.
As I said before in my previous Blog, our Subconsciousness (Spirituality) is more powerful than our Consciousness.
I’ve witnessed a staunch atheist friend exclaim “Oh my God!” when he was extremely shocked.
In my “Inspire” blog, I mentioned about descending the Summit and going back down to the Valley Village where you came from and mentor Others so they too can reach their own Summit.
Abraham Maslow – the Albert Einstein of Business Psychology (above image). Every business graduate would have to learn and be tested in examinations of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. When I learned of it during my Business of Bachelor Administration (BBA) degree student days, I actually thought it was enlightening.
But it ended with Me, not Others.
I’m glad Abraham Maslow added a “higher calling” stage above his famous Self-Actualisation stage, three years before he passed. He looks happy he made the addition (above image).
All’s Well That Ends Well!
The trick to living a full and satisfied Life is NOT to be the richest man in the cemetery. But to have enriched Others as much as possible before bidding “Vaya Con Dios” (Go with God) to this earth.
Your Legacy and Kindness will live on in your Beneficiaries’ Hearts and Minds on this Earth.
An Aside to my business college student friends reading this – When you encounter an examination question on the number of levels in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, remember – the answer is 6! Show your Professor this Blog to score bonus points!
