Hi. I'm Abraham Maslow, leader, some would say, of Humanistic psychology.
Early in my career I decided to study successful and productive individuals -- those I knew personally as well as those throughout history. This study led me to a fresh view of human psychology.
I believe that all human beings strive for self-actualization, the need to fulfill one's own unique potential -- to become everything that he or she can be.
But the road to self-actualization is not always an easy one. Humans have different needs that can be arranged in a hierarchy. The needs found lower in the hierarchy usually must be met before those listed higher.
At the bottom of the hierarchy are the most fundamental needs: physiological needs such as the need to satisfy hunger, thirst, and sex drives, followed by safety needs, such as the need to feel safe. Next in the hierarchy are psychological needs, such as the need to be loved and the need to gain approval and recognition. At the top of the hierarchy is self-actualization.
Humanistic psychology focuses on psychological health rather than on mental illness. Its view is optimistic, with an emphasis on the human potential. It's a healthy viewpoint.