Styrofoam Cup – or…Is Maslow Static or Dynamic?

Are you familiar with Maslow’s Hierchary of Needs, introduced by Abraham Maslow, in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation?  Maslow’s hierchy has 5 levels in a pyramid, with the first level meeting the Physical Requirements of food, water, sleep, warmth.  Physical is followed by Safety, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and ultimately, Self-actualization. 

 In The 5 Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs on verywellmind.com , Kendra Cherry says, Maslow “…suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs…    …Maslow believed that people have an inborn desire to be self-actualized, that is, to be all they can be. In order to achieve these ultimate goals, however, a number of more basic needs must be met such as the need for food, safety, love, and self-esteem.” 

My question for you – do you think the movement up the Maslow pyramid is one-directional (UP) or bi-directional (UP and DOWN)?

My life experience leads me to answer bi-directional.

Simon Sinek, during a TED Talk, passes on a potentially applicable example of a former Under Secretary of Defense.  The former Under Secretary relates his year-on-year experiences in speaking at a major conference.  The first year he IS Under Secretary and is handled with “kid gloves” – flies business class, met by a driver, has an aide to get him to/from the hotel, and is served his coffee in a ceramic cup.  The following year, he is the FORMER Under Secretary – he flies coach, books his own hotel, and when he asks for coffee, he is directed to the coffee machine in the corner with Styrofoam cups.  A little humbling – don’t you think?  The FORMER Under Secretary delivers the moral to the story – “The Ceramic Cup is for the person in the POSITION!  I deserve a stryofoam cup!”

My story that leads to my bi-directional answer?  Going into the 2008 “Great Recession,” I ran the premier firm in our territory in our industry.  I would be asked to be on key committees, give talks and trainings, and yes, drink coffee from ceramic cups.  Coming out of the “Great Recession”, we were knocked down a peg – the firm’s focus was now on survival – and yes, drinking coffee from styrofoam! Exhausting and humbling!   

Bob Dylan, in Like a Rolling Stone, captures the feeling nicely.

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People call say 'beware doll, you're bound to fall'
You thought they were all kidding you…

…How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone

Your Questions?  Is the Pyramid one-directional?   What happens when your world gets rocked?