Free Log12 Critical Thinking Sample

The main purpose of this article is to present arguments of the “Third Force” which are the basis of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. These are augments that depart from Freudian and B.F. Skinner’s claims that man, in his actions, is driven by his base needs which include feeding, sex and the avoidance of pain. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs departs from the psychoanalytic school which emphasizes on the destructive tendencies of people.
The most important information presented in the article is that humans show depravity and a destructive nature such as rape, theft and violence when they are deprived of deficiency needs. Deficiency needs include physiological, safety, love and esteem needs. A proponent need is the one that holds the strongest influence over an individual and is the lowest need that remains unmet. Higher needs include esteem and self actualization which the individual is drawn to meet.
The main inferences presented in this article include the assertion that humans have a freedom of choice. In addition to this is that people prioritize lower needs until they are met. When the body is deprived of these needs, it gathers all the efforts possible to meet them. Research supports Maslow’s hierarchy but not the order in which it is arranged. Research casts doubts as to whether needs decrease in strength once gratified.
The key concepts that should be understood from this article include knowing how all needs in Maslow’s hierarchy (physiological, safety, love, self esteem and self-actualization) apply in day-to-day life. In addition, one should understand the concept of hierarchy and how lower needs must me prioritized and met to enable one rise to higher needs. The concept of tension as a result of deprivation of deficiency needs is also important and may be applied in understating criminal activity and inter-personal relationships.
There are several main points of view presented by the article. The most dominant one is that humans are not creatures who only depend on their base needs in life. This view is supported by the argument that humans act in a depraved manner when deprived of needs. Humans also have the freedom to choose as is shown by the self-actualization concept which holds that people feel a persistent gentle tug to attain their full potential. The need for belonging after physiological and security needs have been met.
I can apply this information in different aspects of my life. This is because it enables me to understand that to discover the true purpose of my life, I have to first fulfill the lower needs in the hierarchy. Fulfilling physiological needs has implications on one’s health. This means that I must endeavor to live a healthy life and fulfill other deficiency needs to enable me attain self-actualization.
I think that it is important to understand Maslow’s hierarchy from an empirical standpoint. Only then can one begin to see the hierarchy applied in real life situations so as to establish how true its arguments are as compared to Freudian thought and B.F. Skinners ideas. Some researchers claim that Maslow’s evaluation of human behavior is too optimistic and should be tempered by the findings of real life empirical investigations. Overall, the hierarchy of needs can be loosely to different aspects of our lives with remarkable exactness. The absence of a better theory on human behavior makes it even more credible.