Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs Essay

Humans desire three things in life-- safety, belonging, and power over others. Every conflict and communication, at its central core, centers around one of these three concepts or a combination of them. Evidence for this hypothesis goes beyond a theoretical discussion of psychology that touches on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs; one only needs to briefly reflect on past centuries of recorded history to come to this same conclusion. Safety, belonging, and power defines us as human beings, as it has from the beginning of our species.

Our need for the first, safety, is deeply ingrained in our system. The flight versus fight reaction can attest to this flawlessly, as, during this time, the brain has but one mission-- to pilot the sack of meat it’s inside out of the reaction-causing situation as unscathed as possible. Entropy is cancer in the eyes of the human brain, this need for safety stemming from the human desire to have a predictable, orderly world that is somewhat within their control. In almost all societies, this desire is perfectly documented by the respect their citizens have for the institutions of government and law and the safety they provide until these institutions engage in actions viewed as putting aforesaid safety in

jeopardy. Safety is a universal need, only above the physiological, as the evidence shows.
Once safety is taken care of, there then needs to be a use for that person now that they’re not explicitly in danger.

This is where a desire for belonging comes in, whether it be manifested in friendships, intimacy, or family. According to a 2010 study on social relationships and mortality, having social relationships can increase your odds of survival by 50%, comparable to the effects of smoking and excessive drinking on one's health. Without this interpersonal need satiated, a person becomes susceptible to anxiety, depression, and loneliness. As Kurt Vonnegut wrote in his final novel, “Many people need desperately to receive this message: ‘I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about…You are not

alone.’”
With the confidence of their peers secure, people can finally achieve what they most crave: power over others. This is what all humans aspire to obtain, through sports, warfare, totalitarian political control, or any other method. Power makes people happy through providing the ability for them to do whatever they want with their life. This, in turn, leads to a sense of authenticity, that they can be who they want to be without others pressuring them to act contrary. This insatiable desire does not come from the joy of leading others-- it is selfish by nature. Humans lust over power in a search for autonomy, because having control over their fellow man leads to their own freedom.
Safety comes first and foremost, both physical and social. It is only then can one ever hope to succeed in the world, and obtain the power that they so desire. This power leads to one living the life that they picture most, allowing them to feel a sense of control over their own state of being.