Motivation Theory
“When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.”
- Greg Anderson
(Author)
Here is a brief introduction to motivation theory.
Understanding what motivates us is vitally important as we seek a way forward in our efforts to achieve better performance in the various areas of our life. The greatest understanding I have come across of what motivates us, is Maslow’s theory of human motivation. Professor of psychology, Abraham Maslow, presented his Theory of Human Motivation to the world in 1943. Many psychologists have made impacts on society's understanding of the world. Abraham Maslow was one of these; he brought a new face to the study of human behaviour. He called his new discipline, "Humanistic Psychology." His theories focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. Maslow studied what he called exemplary people such as Albert Einstein and the healthiest 1% of the college student population. Maslow's thinking was original — most psychologists before him had been concerned with the abnormal and the ill. He wanted to know what constituted positive mental health.
Humanistic psychologists believe that every person has a strong desire to realize his or her full potential, to reach a level of "self-actualisation". To prove that humans are not simply blindly reacting to situations, but trying to accomplish something greater, Maslow studied mentally healthy individuals instead of people with serious psychological issues. This informed his theory that people experience “peak experiences", high points in life when the individual is in harmony with himself and his surroundings. In Maslow's view, self-actualised people can have many peak experiences throughout a day while others have those experiences less frequently.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, with five levels – physiological, safety, belonging, esteem and self-actualisation. The largest and most fundamental levels of human need form the base of the pyramid. These are the most basic forms of human motivation. As we ascend the pyramid, each level is a progression of both human need and motivation. The levels become narrower, depicting the decreasing number of times people pursue, engage or experience the motivation to pursue these higher needs.
You can learn all you need to know about motivation from my book, Live A Motivated Life. You can get your copy now, by clicking here. Invest in yourself!
- Greg Anderson
(Author)
Here is a brief introduction to motivation theory.
Understanding what motivates us is vitally important as we seek a way forward in our efforts to achieve better performance in the various areas of our life. The greatest understanding I have come across of what motivates us, is Maslow’s theory of human motivation. Professor of psychology, Abraham Maslow, presented his Theory of Human Motivation to the world in 1943. Many psychologists have made impacts on society's understanding of the world. Abraham Maslow was one of these; he brought a new face to the study of human behaviour. He called his new discipline, "Humanistic Psychology." His theories focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. Maslow studied what he called exemplary people such as Albert Einstein and the healthiest 1% of the college student population. Maslow's thinking was original — most psychologists before him had been concerned with the abnormal and the ill. He wanted to know what constituted positive mental health.
Humanistic psychologists believe that every person has a strong desire to realize his or her full potential, to reach a level of "self-actualisation". To prove that humans are not simply blindly reacting to situations, but trying to accomplish something greater, Maslow studied mentally healthy individuals instead of people with serious psychological issues. This informed his theory that people experience “peak experiences", high points in life when the individual is in harmony with himself and his surroundings. In Maslow's view, self-actualised people can have many peak experiences throughout a day while others have those experiences less frequently.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, with five levels – physiological, safety, belonging, esteem and self-actualisation. The largest and most fundamental levels of human need form the base of the pyramid. These are the most basic forms of human motivation. As we ascend the pyramid, each level is a progression of both human need and motivation. The levels become narrower, depicting the decreasing number of times people pursue, engage or experience the motivation to pursue these higher needs.
You can learn all you need to know about motivation from my book, Live A Motivated Life. You can get your copy now, by clicking here. Invest in yourself!
