Why we behave the way we behave
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is the center of this perspective. The photo attached here shows that human beings have basic needs, psychological needs, and self-fulfillment needs. Needless to say, each category arises after the other is satisfied. This is where the concept of “man is insatiable” comes from.
At once other (and ‘higher’) needs emerge and these, rather than physiological hungers, dominate the organism. And when these in turn are satisfied, again new (and still ‘higher’) needs emerge and so on. This is what we mean by saying that the basic human needs are organized into a hierarchy of relative prepotency.
The understatement of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs lies in human desire/s as motivation/s. If man is hungry, he will do something to feed himself. But, digging more deeply in Maslow’s theory of needs, would you agree when I say that man is naturally hungry for food, water, warmth, rest, security, safety, intimate relationships, friends, prestige, feeling of accomplishment, creative activities, and self-fulfilling achievements? We all desire these things, and we feel disoriented when we lose one. For example, we feel unsecured when we lose our job. We feel rejected when we get heart broken. We lose our self-esteem when we do not receive recognition for what we do. We feel like we lack something (indistinguishable) when we have not enough space to express our self to create what we want to create and when we do not feel valued because of what we can give.
The truth is even studies have not really measured the fullness of self-actualization.
Man has not yet achieved or fully measured self-actualization. Since, in our society, basically satisfied people are the exception, we do not know much about self-actualization, either experimentally or clinically. It remains a challenging problem for research.
My question is, how much do we need to do in order to achieve the highest hierarchy of human needs? How much do we need to be in order to feel that satisfaction and contentment of spirit? How much do we need to give for us to say that we contribute to the upkeep of our planet?
This kind of a motivation is tiring. To me, this seems like an endless search for “meaning” and “purpose”—something abstract that we try our best to identify so that we can go back to this “meaning” or “purpose” as our motivation in life. Do you know a rich man who has achieved the fullness of happiness and peace? Do you know a poor man who has such happiness and peace? What is the goal of our life, really? Wealth? Knowledge? Achievement? Good works?
I used to be in a corporate world—a French institution in the Philippines. The work environment, benefits, and my colleagues were all good. I actually wanted this kind of a corporate life. That season of my life was like a dream come true to me. But no matter how dreamy life was, something was always missing. My salary was not enough for my financial needs. The work environment did not suffice to the things that “I still wanted to achieve.” My colleagues were not enough reasons to be happy. So, I left.
Currently, I live in Cambodia. Our school is still under construction and debt. Due to the Corona virus, our school’s financial support stopped. Hence, we have no salary. I have no achievements or any corporate entitlement. I live as a teacher of Grade 2 students. Yes, I am assigned as the School Director, but who’s my boss? Our work environment does not have a “Good job reward system.” We have no recognitions or whatsoever that will acknowledge me as an asset of a company. Despite of these scenarios, I can honestly say that I am content. I have joy. I am satisfied with what I have and what I have not. I have peace of mind and peace of heart everyday.
So, what is the difference in motivation between my dreamy corporate life and my current laid-back life?
In my dreamy corporate life, I strove hard to climb the ladder of the Hierarchy of Needs. I made sure not to lose my job to provide for my physiological and safety needs. I made sure that I pleased everyone and pleased my boss for me to belong. I made sure that I performed to be recognized. I made sure that I did my roles well to be fulfilled. This kind of a motivation can propel us with so much energy at the start. However, like what I have said, don’t you feel tired in striving so hard—achieving so much or not—being disappointed by yourself, by others, or by the company, and yet, after all these performances, you find what you do meaningless? On the other hand, in my current season, I have learned that it is okay to not be okay. Whether my life is recognizable to others or not, it does not matter. Whether my decisions would bring me wealth or not, it does not matter. Whether people recognize my efforts or not, it does not matter. Whether people look up to me or look down on me, I would not allow others’ perspective of me affect the way I see myself. Whether I achieve or not, it is okay. I am okay. I am enough. I am valuable. I belong. And, I can simply be—no pressure to perform, to please, and to achieve. Now, there is freedom in this kind of a motivation. Can you feel this freedom? This leads me to the next perspective.
Better Teachers 