Abraham Maslow, The Motivator Behind Humanistic Psychology

â€Å"Twenty-three hundred years ago Aristotle concluded that, more than anything else, men and women seek happiness† Mihaly Csikzentmilyi, psychologist and author of Flow, profoundly states (1). This cannot be further from the truth. There is not a conscious living being has not asked themselves, what will make me happy? An object or the affection of another person are most commonly thought to be the path to happiness while other may think deeper and spiritual connection may be the route. For Abraham Maslow, the motivator behind humanistic psychology, this question left a desire to be filled. As a child growing up in Brooklyn, unhappy and lonely, and he spent much of his time in the library immersed in books (Hoffman 133). The time spent lead Maslow to his steadfast ideals and values, eventually leading him into the field of psychology (Hoffman 133). Maslow had a desire to study what motivated people (Hoffman 133). During the 1960s, Maslow founded what is known as humanisti c psychology (Hoffman 134). His thought was that there were exceptional people in the world so he began to research their qualities and lifestyles (Hoffman 133). These studies became the core of his theories on one’s ability to find happiness through reaching their personal potential. (Hoffman 134). Maslow’s research brought about his theories on the hierarchy of needs, self-actualization and his peak experiences concept which became theShow MoreRelatedAbraham Maslow and the Hierarchy of Needs1566 Words   |  7 PagesAbraham Maslow and the Hierarchy of Needs After Abraham Maslow met Kurt Goldstein, who originated the concept of self-actualization, he began his movement for humanistic psychology. Early in his career Maslow worked with monkeys and he noticed that some needs took precedence over others. Maslow took this observation and created the theory of the Hierarchy of Needs. 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