Abraham Maslow has long been associated with humanistic psychology, so called because of its focus on the fully human person. The great value of his work lies in its emphasis on psychologically healthy people. Maslow believed that we have much to learn from people possessing an optimistic, positive outlook.

To understand Maslow’s ideas, two principles should be remembered: (1) Maslow was interested in studying the positive, healthy personality; and (2) when individual’s basic needs are satisfied, they have the energy and drive to seek higher goals. With these as his guidelines, Maslow identified a hierarchy of needs (Figure 6-1) that must be satisfied before people can move toward higher levels of thought, creativity, and self-fulfillment.

Of the basic needs Maslow identified—physiological, safety, love and belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization—the first four are often called deficiency needs. Even if these needs are satisfied, people will experience feelings of discontent or restlessness unless they are doing what they believe they should be doing. As Maslow (1987) noted, what people can be, they must be. This drive leads them to attempt to satisfy growth needs—that is, those self-actualization needs for truth, beauty, justice, and so on.