 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||
 |
 |
|
||
 |
|
You
are here: Revisiting Maslow
As growing numbers of people in our country move into the older population, an important gift to our culture emerges. Older people, as psychologist Abraham Maslow pointed out, are the right age-- if ever-- to be self-actualizing. Building on the accumulated experience and wisdom of a lifetime, they are capable of functioning on the "leading-tip" of humanity, returning to the world what they have learned and leading the way into a peaceful future.
Maslow described self-actualizing people as making the fullest possible use of talents and abilities and doing the best they are capable of doing-- becoming "fully human." They see life as it is rather than as they wish it to be. They are honest, sincere, kind, listen carefully to others, are humble, and always anxious to learn. They are usually dedicated to some constructive work, task, duty, or vocation outside of themselves to which they devote enormous energy-- often making no distinction between work and play. They are creative, have a keen sense of humor, are courageous and willing to take risks, and they function effectively in the midst of chaos. Their personality is integrated, fusing trust, goodness, and beauty.
Despite heated arguments in our country today about whose values to value, it may be that most of us could agree that society is in desperate need of the qualities that Maslow described. Because human beings clearly do not wait until the age of sixty to develop them, they must be modeled and nurtured from the beginning of life in homes, schools, and communities.
In his Theory of Basic Needs, Maslow suggests that there are certain preconditions that must be met before we can begin to develop our highest capacities. This theory seems to be more relevant today than ever before and deserves being revisited.
He suggests that we need to look first at the characteristics of the external environment, and that both children and adults function best where there is freedom, justice, orderliness and challenge. These are similar characteristics to those that Berkeley neurobiologist Marian Diamond has found to be essential to developing the mental equipment that will be used throughout life to think, learn, problem-solve, and create. She has found that environments that are positive, stimulating, nurturing, and encourage action and interaction are most conducive to growing a healthy neural network. University of Chicago psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has found that there are particular kinds of environments that are conducive to developing bright, well-adjusted, and happy students. They are "complex" environments in which there is a combination of structure, positive discipline, and high expectations and guidelines clearly communicated along with love, nurture, and rich opportunities for meaningful choice. We see abundant examples that freedom without discipline may lead to chaos, and discipline without freedom may lead to squelching the human spirit.
Maslow notes the critical importance of meeting such physiological needs as clean air, food, and shelter. Today we see many children coming to school unable to learn because these basic needs are not being met. The needs for safety and security are also hard to come by for many children as well as adults. Many schools are not safe places to be, and many workplaces do not offer much security. Many formerly peaceful places are now hazardous. It is not very easy to be benevolent, generous, and compassionate for others when basic needs are threatened.
Love and a sense of belonging offer security that can last a lifetime. Too often, however, love goes unexpressed, and unless people are recognized for who they are, they may find it difficult to feel a part of any group. Too often, as well, there is emphasis on fixing up what's wrong with an individual rather than identifying strengths that can be used as tools for learning and personal development.
Self-esteem and esteem by others are additional essential preconditions for growth. Many self-esteem programs have been developed to address this need; however, unless individuals have opportunities to experience real success at home or at school or in the workplace, they may seek it in inappropriate or even criminal ways. It is possible, if we wish to do so, to give everyone opportunities to discover and use the tools-- appropriate to their own strengths--that will make it possible for them to learn, work, and create successfully. In this way, teachers (and others) may "scaffold" students' learning, beginning with helping them to achieve small successes and continuing to increase challenge as they improve in their learning skills.
The self-actualizing adults of tomorrow's world are in the making today. It may be high time to reflect once again on what Maslow had to say about creating a peaceful world through meeting the deepest needs of humanity.
Copyright © 1996 New Horizons for Learning, all rights reserved.
http://www.newhorizons.org
E-mail: info@newhorizons.orgFor permission to redistribute, please go to:
New Horizons for Learning Copyright and Permission Information