lf esteem and inferiority complexes. Maslow felt that Adler was really onto something when he proposed that these were the roots of many, if not most, of our psychological problems. In modern countries, most of us have what we need in regard to our physiological and safety needs. We usually have quite a bit of love and belonging too. Its respect that often seems difficult to attain. The last level is a bit different. Maslow used a variety of terms to describe this level. The most widely used term is self-actualization. These are needs that do not involve balance. Once engaged, they do not go away, they continue to be felt. In fact, they are likely to become stronger as we feed them or stimulate them. They involve the continuous desire to fulfill potentials, to be all you can be. They are a matter of becoming the most complete, the fullest, you, hence the term, self-actualization. If you truly want to be self-actualizing, you need to have all your lower needs at least mostly fulfilled. This makes sense, if you are hungry you are trying to get food; if you are unsafe, you have to be continuously on guard; etc. When lower needs arent met, you cant fully devote your time and energy to fulfilling your potentials....
