Abe Maslow's Girl
I was listening to BBC world news and they were discussing the long range effects of Abraham Maslow's effect on psychiatry, and his famous pyramid of human development. I realized I was totally a Maslow believer. If you haven't heard of him, I'm shocked. His pyramid of human needs is taught in many science classes and psych classes. I studied it in an archaeology class at LBCC.
Basically there are 5 levels: bottom level is your basics, food sex shelter, next is Safety or knowing the basics are covered for tomorrow, next Love and Belonging ie family and friends, then there is Esteem which is the respect of your peers, confidence, respect for others, and if you manage to climb up that far up the pyramid then you reach your "potential", self-actualization. You function from a higher place in yourself than the usual emotion fueled conditioned animal responses of the typical knucklehead.
Maslow figured about 2% of the population was going to hit this high.
Aren't we a bunch of fucking monkeys?
Scott tells me all the time I'm a socialist, and I fiercely object to that. I'm not. And I finally figured out I'm a Maslow believer. My political leanings and moral judgments are based on the pyramid. I believe that as a country and as a race(human) that our first response to society is to make the meanest poorest level of survival acceptable to us all. That means everyone gets food, medical attention(esp. dental), and shelter. The sex thing is on them. If you ain't a player, nothing society does is going to help that. Sorry.
Now hold up with the whole welfare state argument of how we'll be sunk by a bunch of lazy leeches. This is a long term plan. I'm talking generations. We begin this with future generations in mind. No way will we ever completely wash out the ugly in us, but we might mitigate it with the beauty of massive self actualization.
If the first two levels of the pyramid physiological needs and safety are dealt with the the next step is opportunity and fellowship. This is through specialized education. Forget the required classical education. I loved mine but I'm a geek, and my intellectual fetishes should not be forced upon the unwilling. Even I found reading Ulysses a bitch. I'm glad I did it, but it was like a pap smear: better when it is over. The university system needs to be slapped into the 21st century. Internet classes are just the beginning. We need degrees that are fast and specialized to careers that are sustainable. The fellowship that comes with belonging to the same group of people slogging to a goal will bring on the next pyramid step.
Respect.
Respect for what you can do and what you plan to build for later, for what people in your field achieve and pass on, and for what your family gave to you(encouragement, time, money) to get there. And with this respect will come the broadening of your mind to crave even more of your abilities beyond even what you can imagine.
That is where you attack that top tier, trusting the universe will bring the people, the vision, and the resources to achieve your dreams, and in turn you will become one of the people that encourage others to reach their personal successes.
If we made it an everyday process for our entire country then that measly 2% would grown exponentially. People functioning at their highest potential are drawn to serve their fellow man because they are just that damn good and they see the intelligence of a rather simple philosophy.
If everybody wins then EVERYBODY WINS! (This includes you, so hooray)
Now, isn't that easy?
I know! I wish more people saw this and set their sights on it.
Basically there are 5 levels: bottom level is your basics, food sex shelter, next is Safety or knowing the basics are covered for tomorrow, next Love and Belonging ie family and friends, then there is Esteem which is the respect of your peers, confidence, respect for others, and if you manage to climb up that far up the pyramid then you reach your "potential", self-actualization. You function from a higher place in yourself than the usual emotion fueled conditioned animal responses of the typical knucklehead.
Maslow figured about 2% of the population was going to hit this high.
Aren't we a bunch of fucking monkeys?
Scott tells me all the time I'm a socialist, and I fiercely object to that. I'm not. And I finally figured out I'm a Maslow believer. My political leanings and moral judgments are based on the pyramid. I believe that as a country and as a race(human) that our first response to society is to make the meanest poorest level of survival acceptable to us all. That means everyone gets food, medical attention(esp. dental), and shelter. The sex thing is on them. If you ain't a player, nothing society does is going to help that. Sorry.
Now hold up with the whole welfare state argument of how we'll be sunk by a bunch of lazy leeches. This is a long term plan. I'm talking generations. We begin this with future generations in mind. No way will we ever completely wash out the ugly in us, but we might mitigate it with the beauty of massive self actualization.
If the first two levels of the pyramid physiological needs and safety are dealt with the the next step is opportunity and fellowship. This is through specialized education. Forget the required classical education. I loved mine but I'm a geek, and my intellectual fetishes should not be forced upon the unwilling. Even I found reading Ulysses a bitch. I'm glad I did it, but it was like a pap smear: better when it is over. The university system needs to be slapped into the 21st century. Internet classes are just the beginning. We need degrees that are fast and specialized to careers that are sustainable. The fellowship that comes with belonging to the same group of people slogging to a goal will bring on the next pyramid step.
Respect.
Respect for what you can do and what you plan to build for later, for what people in your field achieve and pass on, and for what your family gave to you(encouragement, time, money) to get there. And with this respect will come the broadening of your mind to crave even more of your abilities beyond even what you can imagine.
That is where you attack that top tier, trusting the universe will bring the people, the vision, and the resources to achieve your dreams, and in turn you will become one of the people that encourage others to reach their personal successes.
If we made it an everyday process for our entire country then that measly 2% would grown exponentially. People functioning at their highest potential are drawn to serve their fellow man because they are just that damn good and they see the intelligence of a rather simple philosophy.
If everybody wins then EVERYBODY WINS! (This includes you, so hooray)
Now, isn't that easy?
I know! I wish more people saw this and set their sights on it.
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