The Stages of Human Development

People are on different levels of development in their lives. Some people have done more and accomplished more due to their circumstances and their internal drive. As a person moves up the development pyramid they feel better about them self. They may even begin to experience new levels of satisfaction in their lives.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs helps to describe people's basic needs and their immediate concerns as they move up the pyramid. At its very top a person has achieved the greatest level of development in their lives and thereby experiences the most fulfillments. At the bottom people are simply struggling for their survival.

Stages of Development:

Biological and Physiological Need: These are the basic needs that people must have met in order to survive. They include food, shelter, water, warmth, sex, sleep, etc. These needs are often pulled by our innate biological urges.

Safety Needs: Once people have satisfied their basic needs they also have needs such as law, order, peace, safety, etc. that keep them feeling comfortable. It is difficult for either people or society to develop if this safety needs have been diminished by wars.

Belongingness and Love Needs: People want to feel as though they are part of a group, they have a family and that they are needed by society. Thus having responsibilities and being responsible for other people helps one fulfill these needs.

Esteem Needs: It is not enough to be wanted by people. Many people want to achieve things in their lives. They want their lives to have meaning and they want people to respect them. Thus they achieve so that they can feel good about who they are.

Self-Actualization: At the highest level of development people want to feel as though they are fulfilled in live. They will engage in activities such as painting, horse riding and other activities that give meaning to their lives. In many cases the wealthy are more likely to actualize because they have the resources and time to explore themselves.

Think about where you are in each of these levels. Business owners can often bounce between the different groups based upon how their business is going and how much money they are making. They may be self-actualized but occasionally have their basic needs challenged by economic pressures. Thus they focus their attention on the areas that are most pressing. For example, if you own a business and you love to pain scenic pictures you will immediately start focusing again on your business if it starts to lose money. Eventually you will go back to your painting. Therefore each of these levels is fluid by nature.