Theory of Human Needs
13 bottom and the highest of need is placed at the top of the pyramid. According to
Maslow as cited in Feist, 2011, p.280-284, those five basic needs are: a.
Physiological Needs Physiological needs are the basic, lowest and strongest one in the hierarchy
of needs. This need covers the basic life needs such as water, food, oxygen, and so on. These needs must be fulfilled at some minimal level by each human in his or
her life before someone is able to move to the higher level. If these needs are not fulfilled yet, the person will be not motivated to fulfill the higher level of needs.
Physiological needs differ from other needs because it is the only needs which can be satisfied or even overly satisfied. Besides, physiological needs are able to
reappear because of its recurring nature. b.
Safety Needs After the physiological needs are fulfilled, human will start to pursue the
higher level of needs which is safety or security needs. This includes physical security, stability, dependency, protection, and freedom from threatening forces
i.e. war, terrorism, illness, fear, anxiety, danger, chaos and natural disaster. c.
Love and Belongingness Needs Once the safety needs are fulfilled, people become motivated by love and
belongingness needs. Humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, which is expected to be found both in one’s society and family. Besides, they need
to love and be loved by others. Love and belongingness needs cover the desire for friendship, the wish for a mate and children, the need to belong to family, a club, a
14 neighborhood, or a nation. Deprivation to this need will lead to loneliness, social
anxiety and clinical depression. d.
Esteem Needs To the extent that people satisfy their love and belongingness needs, they
start to pursue esteem needs, which include self-respect, confidence, competence, and knowledge. Maslow divides two level of esteem needs namely reputation and
self-esteem. Reputation is the perception of prestige or recognition achieved by a person which is seen by the eyes of others. Meanwhile, self-
esteem is a person’s own feeling of worth and confidence. When this need is met, people will be
confident and valuable. On the other hand, people with low self-esteem will show lack of confidence in themselves and often believe that they are unworthy of the
attention or regard of other people. This can lead to isolation and loneliness. e.
Self-actualization Needs The last and the highest needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are the self-
actualization needs. This includes self- fulfillment, the realization of all one’s
potential, and a desire to become creative in the full sense of the word. These needs are psychological needs which develop and exploit all of his or her
capabilities, potentialities, and talents to be everything he or she wants. It will enable a person to improve him or herself thoroughly and reach a healthy mental
condition.
15