Of course, I don’t suppose myself to be so enlightened as to completely discredit a highly esteemed theory of human existence.  However, Maslow didn’t discuss what happens at the top (to my knowledge).  Something unexpected happens as we reach the top of Maslow’s pyramid.  We start over. (←Tweet this)

Sure, one may justly say:  “Of course if you step off the top of a pyramid, you come crashing back to the bottom.”  But, what I’m saying is:  When you grasp Maslow’s final need, you play the game again… with knowledge from before.

The case of the “Quitter”, is a very attractive one to use as an example.

The Hierarchy

Check out Maslow’s chart if you’re unfamiliar.  Keep in mind, Maslow studied the top 1% of intellectuals.  In his words:

…the study of crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy.  The study of self-actualizing people must be the basis for a more universal science…

In short, our motivation comes from five needs… later, Maslow added a sixth.  Motivation can occur in any of the areas at any given time, but, there is a dominating motivation.  It’s what happens when the sixth motivation becomes the dominant that we’re interested in here.  After all, we’re all self-actualized intellectuals right?

• Physiological – air, food, water.  I’m a fan of these things.
• Safety – stability in a chaotic world: home, job, physical safety
• Love – family, lovers, friends
• Esteem – self esteem, confidence, respect
• Self-Actualization – morality, acceptance, becoming more of what one is
• Self-Transcendence – helping others find self-fulfillment

How’s that last one look?

The Quitter’s model

When we begin to look outside the nine to five humdrum and the object-oriented desire model for fulfillment, we are deep within the Self-Actualization mode of motivation.  In most cases, we are beginning Self-Transcendence.  We say things like:

“I want to do more for the world.”
“I want to help people.”
“There’s got to be something more than this.”

At some point, we accept Self-Actualization isn’t going to fully happen in our current “modus operandi” and we take the leap.  We leap off the top of Maslow’s pyramid… and we extend our arms with outstretched hands reaching up through Self-Actualization for Self-Transcendence.

The Quitter’s path

And we seem to hang, suspended in that reaching state.  For a time, we know Self-Actualization is occurring more and more as we get closer to Self-Transcendence.  Yet, we cannot help but be distracted, mid-air if you will, by something.

The knack [in flying] lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

-D.Adams

What is it that distracts us? Inevitably, it’s our old comfortable friends. The ones we’ve all but forgotten about. The “other” motivations begin to take our attention once again.

Physiology.  We find the need to eat!  But, though it’s our dominating motivation, it’s dominating within the umbrella of Self-Transcendence.  We can find food, but we insist on feeding our body with good food, fresh air, and plenty of water.

Safety.  We look for security of pay and home, but we’re not going to just take any job that pays and search for the biggest home.  The pay must come under the umbrella of Self-Actualization.

Love.  We know our family already loves us.  In our friends and lovers, we insist on ones with values and will not settle for just anyone hanging around for company.  We expect them… and require them… to understand the bigger world under the umbrella of Self-Transcendence.

Esteem.  Self-Esteem is of no mater anymore.  We seek the confidence, not that we will get through, but that we will sustain and flourish on our own path.  Respect is something we now have for ourselves and others; not something we need from others.

Self Actualization.  Here we are again… still…

Until, that is, the balance is achieved. When we find Self-Actualization IN Self-Transcendence, we are truly ourselves. (←Tweet this)  We are helping others be truly themselves.  Whether we are helping others to the best version of themselves or we are helping others to get clean water.  We are role models for those others to, in turn, help more others.

We have become our destiny.

So, my quitting friends, don’t spend too much of your precious time worrying that you are being dominated by Physiology or Safety.  It is under the umbrella of Self-Actualization.  It is part of the path.  It is on your way to your destiny… to our destiny.

With gratitude in every new step you take,