I remember over forty-five years ago sitting in a college class. I can’t recall for sure, but I think it was the Introduction to Management Theory, but it could have been an Introduction to Psychology. Anyways, I was introduced to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. At the time, I recall it being hammered into us that this was an absolute and that we have to follow this for affective leadership. I was exposed to it again and again when in the Air Force as part of my professional military education and leadership training. I regurgitated the answers expected from these courses and at first, I even believed them. But as I ruminated on them, I decided that Maslow’s Theory is a load of horse manure.

Maslow claimed there are five levels of needs that can be placed into three main groups. The first group was basic needs. This is the need for physiological good, such as air, water, food, etc. And the need for safety. The next group was psychological needs. He split this out into the needs for belonging and esteem. The last need was fulfillment, also called self-actualization. I recall my instructors saying that a person would go to work on fulfilling the higher needs only once the lower needs were met. And if lower need raised up then people would slide back down the hierarchy to fill that lower need first. For example, if your safety is threatened, you’ll forgo self-actualization to regain safety.

On the surface this sounds good. Since Maslow was a psychologist, we assume this all to be very scientific. If it is science, it must be objective. However, I’ve done a quick internet search, and I can find no evidence of Maslow doing any kind of study, collecting any data, or doing any statistical analysis to form his theory. As far as I can tell, unlike Frankl or Freud, he didn’t even have case studies to support his ideas. His theory isn’t science, it’s philosophy. And a flawed one at that.

 I came to this conclusion when I realized my job as an Air Force officer was to convince, and if unable to convince then force, my men to short circuit their lower needs for higher ones. I had to get them to forgo food, rest, and safety to fulfill the mission. Every coach of every sport has to convince their athletes to sacrifice lower needs for success.

Isn’t this drive to forget our lower needs for a higher glory especially true for Christians? Aren’t we called to fast and skip sleep for prayer and study? Aren’t we told to sacrifice our safety to go and spread the Gospel even if it means martyrdom? Did not our Lord tell us that our own families would shun us because we chose him? And did he not tell us that we would gain no esteem in this world, for people of this world will hate us as they did, and still do, him? Are we not ready to sacrifice everything to gain fulfillment of the incorruptible crown he offers? True discipleship is to obliterate Maslow’s Hierarchy.

#Maslow, #PsuedoScience