A False Model
You may have seen Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs represented as a pyramid.
As it turns out, Maslow never represented his ideas this way. The pyramid suggests that once we’re “done” with one step, we leave it behind and move onto the next step. It’s like leveling-up in a video game. This is a very having-mode way of conceptualizing human development.
An Updated Model
Maslow’s actual position was that human development is much more dynamic. We’re always in a state of becoming. Aristotle had similar notions. What makes a tree a tree is that it’s always in the process of becoming a tree. The basic building blocks (cells, for example) and processes (like photosynthesis) that allow the tree to live and grow are ongoing. The same is true for us. We often take a couple steps forward followed by a few steps back in life.
Scott Barry Kaufman offers an alternative model and visual aid: that of a boat at sea. Life is more like a vast ocean than a trek up a mountain. We navigate life in a sailboat. The boat itself is what keeps us afloat. If we sink, we aren’t sailing. Once we can stay afloat, our sail keeps us moving. It’s also worth noting that we can’t change course if we aren’t moving.
Reflection
Take some time to identify the describe what, for you, makes up each layer or component of the sailboat.
- Which are B-needs and which are D-needs?
- Do you view purpose, love, and exploration through the having-mode lens, the being-mode lens, or a combination?
- What, if anything, separates your boat as it is from your ideal sailboat?