Unequal Starting Points of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

  While studying for my Project Management final exam, I came across Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, which I first learned about in my psychology class back in freshman year. But this time, something stuck in my head and inspired me to write this blog: the unequal starting points of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s pyramid explains the five levels of human needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. According to the theory, people must satisfy their basic needs at the lower levels before they can focus on higher goals like personal growth and creativity.  Figure 1. Source: https://www.simplypsychology.org/wp-content/uploads/maslow-hierachy-of-needs-min.jpg   The Pyramid’s Unequal Starting Points Imagine a child born in rural Ethiopia, where getting clean water, enough food, and healthcare is a daily struggle. This child’s main focus is staying alive. They spend their time trying to meet basic needs like eating and findi...