Maslow's Hierarchy – Self Actualization – Part 3
by Stanley Bronstein on January 17, 2009
This chart comes from the Wikipedia Article on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which can be found by clicking here.
Maslow’s Hierarchy – The Need For Self Actualization – Revisited
Creativity Is Inventing, Experimenting, Growing, Taking Risks, Breaking Rules, Making Mistakes, and Having Fun (Mary Lou Cook)
Some Definitions
Creativity – The ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness or imagination.
Inventing – To produce something previously unknown by the use of ingenuity or imagination.
Experimenting – A test under controlled conditions that is made to demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy of something previously untried. An innovative act or procedure.
Growing – Becoming greater in quantity, size, extent, or intensity.
Risks – The possibility of suffering harm or loss; danger.
Rules – A principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, arrangement, etc.
Mistakes – An error or fault resulting from defective judgment, deficient knowledge, or carelessness. A misconception or misunderstanding.
Fun – Something that provides amusement. Enjoyment. Playfulness.
Creativity Is What Can Save Us All
In my experience, creativity just might be the one thing that sets normal people apart from highly successful people.
BUT, there are good kinds of creativity and bad ones.
Just read the news . . .
There are stories of swindlers everywhere . . . I have no doubt in my mind that they were VERY creative.
But, they used it the wrong way . . . Something was missing . . . They were missing the moral upbringing necessary to do the right thing, even when it’s not the easiest thing or the most profitable thing.
Notwithstanding, I stick by my original statement. Creativity is going to be needed to get us out of our present jams.
The good news is that I have 100% faith in the creativity of the human race . . .
What Do You Think?
I want to know what you think. Please share your thoughts below.
Some Recommended Reading
Laws of Positioning #20 – Position Yourself To Be Creative
Laws of Positioning #85 – Position Yourself To Be A Risk Taker
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you Stumble It! and Digg it (Digg it by clicking the button at the top of the article) – Thanks
Popularity: 10% [?]
Until next time, take care.
Stanley F. BronsteinHave you checked out my website that profiles the benefits of walking? iWarriorWalk.com
February 15th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Great post Stanley. I’m also interested in the darker sides of self-actualization and creativity. In your example, we can clearly judge that creativity was misused. On the other hand, there so many cases, where we cannot come up with such a judgment. Such a story of self-actualization is successfully presented in the Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Do we really need to judge actions as right or wrong?
February 16th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Distiller:
I think it is inherent in human nature to judge actions as right or wrong. They only difference is whether or not a person is predisposed to judge in “absolutes” (i.e. black or white, up or down, left or right, or right or wrong), or are they predisposed to judge in “shades of gray” (not in absolutes).
I think we need to learn to be more discriminating and to judge in shades of gray because, in my experience, few things are inherently right or wrong. Some things are absolute, but most things are not.
Just my opinion.
Stanley Bronstein
February 16th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Dear Stanley,
I love children, because they are so curious about surroundings, and they try to understand and learn what is going on around them. However, while we are growing up, we learn to judge, label, and categorize things around us, instead of trying to understand and learn what’s going on. Of course categorizing things around us makes our lives simpler on the surface, but is this the way that will lead us to self-actualization? On the other hand, trying to understand and accept everything as they are will help us discovering our real potential and realizing it. I know it’s not simple, but this is “the way” in my opinion.
Best wishes,
Burak