
Yet he intended his studies on happiness and health to complement those of the established schools of psychology. Maslow felt that psychoanalysis and its emphasis on neuroses had its place. Maslow felt that the baby (in this case, human nature) shouldn’t be so easily mistaken for the bathwater (the problem itself). This would be, in some sense, throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Freud (seated left) and other psychoanalysts, 1922.Ībraham Maslow thought Freudian psychologists placed too much emphasis on human weaknesses, obscuring a deeper understanding of psychological health. His theories grew from his intuitive ‘hunch’ that deep down, human nature is good or neutral and not inherently bad or evil. Like the ideas of Mencius, Maslow’s theories are essentially optimistic about human nature and human possibilities. Abraham Maslow versus Traditional Psychologies He gained a sense of purpose, mission and a profound optimism that would color all of his theories and work in many institutions, including Brooklyn College and Columbia University.
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But fortunately for us, a series of experiences redirected the course of Maslow’s life (Hoffman, 1999, pp. He was largely socially isolated as a Jew in a non-Jewish community and while he was later tested at an IQ level of 195, he found himself on academic probation during his freshman year of college, which he left only to go on to quit law school after a few weeks and Cornell University after one semester (Hoffman, 1999, p.

His father was frequently absent physically as well as emotionally while he openly expressed hatred towards his mother, calling her “schizophrenogenic” (schizophrenia-inducing) ignorant, and cruel (Hoffman, 1999, pp. Maslow’s Personal BackgroundĪbraham Maslow’s studies in psychological health and happiness are rooted in a surprisingly sad and frustrated early life. In a break from the other experts of his time, he wanted to understand what motivated the great people of history and to understand human potential he wanted to know what humans are capable of as their healthiest self. Growth, self-actualization, the striving toward health, the quest for identity and autonomy, the yearning for excellence (and other ways of phrasing the striving “upward”) must by now be accepted beyond question as a widespread and perhaps universal human tendency … (Maslow, 1954, Motivation and Personality, pp.xii-xiii)Ībraham Maslow essentially made self-fulfillment and happiness a central part of his life’s work. Human life will never be understood unless its highest aspirations are taken into account. Through his “hierarchy of needs,” Maslow succeeds in combining the insights of earlier psychologists such as Freud and Skinner, who focus on the more basic human instincts, and the more upbeat work of Jung and Fromm, who insist that the desire for happiness is equally worthy of attention. Once the powerful needs for food, security, love and belonging, and self-esteem are satisfied, a deep desire for creative expression and self-actualization rises to the surface. Nonetheless, in the case of most people, this urge only surfaces once the more basic needs are fulfilled.

Inspired by the work of the humanistic psychologists Carl Rogers and Erich Fromm, Maslow insists that the urge for personal growth and self-actualization is deeply entrenched in the human psyche. The Science of Happiness: Theory and Practice (online courses).High School Happiness and Wellbeing Curriculum.Make a Difference: Change the World, Change Yourself.Annotated Bibliography – Strengths and Virtues.The Philosophy of Virtuous Use of Strengths.Annotated Bibliography – Getting in the Flow.Annotated Bibliography-Mindfulness and Positive Thinking.Review of Key Studies on Mindfulness and Positive Thinking.

The Philosophy and Science of Mindfulness.Mindfulness and Positive Thinking Expand.Annotated Bibliography – Spiritual Engagement.Key Studies on Religious/Spiritual Engagement & Meaning.The Philosophy of Finding Meaning in Life.Spiritual Engagement and Meaning Expand.Review of Key Studies on Caring/Volunteering.The Philosophical Basis of Caring, Compassion, and Interdependence.What Is Happiness? The Science and the Hype.
