# Maslow's Eight Needs (Non-Hierarchical)

Maslow originally proposed these as a pyramid, to be climbed rung by rung. Subsequent research (and Made to Stick's reading of it) treats the list as **non-hierarchical**: most people pursue needs across all levels simultaneously. Treat it as a **palette**, not a ladder.

The trap the book calls **"Maslow's basement"**: when you assume other people are motivated only by the bottom three (Physical, Security, Esteem) while you yourself live in the upper levels. This is how a manager ends up offering a cash bonus when the audience would have worked harder for a sense of purpose.

| Level | Need | What it feels like | Example appeal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | **Transcendence** | Helping others realize their potential; being part of something larger than yourself | "I am in charge of morale" (Floyd Lee); "Join the mission to end homelessness" |
| 2 | **Self-actualization** | Realizing your own potential; peak experience; self-fulfillment | "Become the writer you were meant to be"; "Master your craft" |
| 3 | **Aesthetic** | Symmetry, order, beauty | "Design worth touching"; "A kitchen you want to cook in" |
| 4 | **Learning** | Knowing, understanding, mental stimulation | "Math is mental weight training"; "Learn something new every day" |
| 5 | **Esteem** | Achievement, competence, gaining approval and status, recognition | "Be the expert in your org"; performance bonuses framed as recognition |
| 6 | **Belonging** | Love, family, affection, group membership | "A community of people like you"; team rituals |
| 7 | **Security** | Protection, safety, stability | "Protect your family"; insurance; job security |
| 8 | **Physical** | Hunger, thirst, bodily comfort | "Delicious, hot, fresh"; physical pain relief |

## How to use this table in the skill

1. Ask: **Where does my audience actually live?** Not where you assume they live — where the evidence says they live. Soldiers in Baghdad (Pegasus) were not in the physical/security basement; they were starved for Transcendence, Aesthetic, and Learning.
2. Ask: **Am I appealing from my own level, or theirs?** Managers typically assume employees are in the Security/Esteem basement while themselves pursuing Self-actualization. This is projection in reverse.
3. Ask: **Which upper level is the shortest path to action?** Transcendence and Self-actualization are the two most commonly under-used appeals. If your current pitch is stuck at Security/Esteem, try rewriting from Transcendence or Learning first.

## The "company bonus" experiment (from ch10)

Researchers asked people to predict how three versions of a $1,000 bonus pitch would land:

1. **Security framing:** "Think what $1,000 means — a down payment on a car, that home improvement."
2. **Esteem framing:** "Think of what getting a bonus means — the company recognizes how important your work is."
3. **Self-actualization framing:** "Think of what the bonus means — the freedom to do something you've always wanted but couldn't afford."

People correctly predicted that **for themselves**, #3 would be most motivating. But they predicted that **for everyone else**, #1 and #2 would be more motivating. This is Maslow's basement in action — a systematic bias that underweights the upper levels when designing appeals for others.

## Warning: do not use as a ladder

Do not write "first we'll satisfy their security needs, then their belonging needs..." People are not video games. They pursue multiple needs at once. Pick the ONE upper-level need that is most under-served by competing messages in the audience's environment, and lead with it.