One way to interpret Maslow’s pyramid of needs is to consider that an individual might become a full fledged human only after having climbed to the ‘fifth floor’.
The key word here being “might”!
Because nothing mandates that all those who have overcome the material constraints of this world and have successfully integrated themselves in the social milieu will ever become a ‘better version of themselves’.
Need examples? Have you ever heard about people like Bernie Madoff, Martin Shkreli or Myron Scholes?
‘But the last guy, Myron Scholes, was recognized by the Nobel committee as a world class economist!’
Exactly! What more could a person want? Money, fame, worldwide recognition… he was on the fast track to becoming whoever he wanted…
Yet he had chosen to associate himself with one of the deepest financial black-hole ever… Knowingly, unknowingly… doesn’t matter!
‘But what does it mean to become a full fledged human?’
To be free. To consider them-self a free person and to be recognized as such by their peers.
‘Scholes wasn’t a free person?!? Shkreli?!? Madoff?!?’
Nope. Neither was free from greed!
Greed for money, power, public recognition… or any combination thereof.
‘But “greed is good”!!! Isn’t this the current mantra? Aren’t we all driven by this sentiment?!?’
First of all, greed is not good. Read Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiment.
But yes, we are bombarded from all sides with this notion. That ‘greed is good. That greed is the engine of capitalism, which capitalism has brought us here. Where it is good.’
Yes, here it is indeed good. Only for fewer and fewer of us. It used to be better but since ‘greed has become good’ every ‘bump’ we encounter along the ‘free market’ road has proven to be quite a challenge. An insurmountable challenge for more and more of us.
An unsustainable arrangement. For us, as a community.
And yes, capitalism is the best economic paradigm to date. Only, as all paradigms, it has to be put in practice. By us, the people. In the right way. In the free market way.
Only we are no longer free! Those who cannot escape their sentiment may not consider themselves free. And too many of us have been enslaved by their greed!
‘But greed is written in our DNA!’
Indeed! So is the urge to have sex!
Only we’ve managed to teach ourselves, community wise, that while sex is good, rape is bad!
Not so long ago, rape was more or less condoned. ‘She must have enticed him’. ‘What was she doing there at that hour?’ And so on…
Nowadays, rape is shunned. By most of us.
Only we still live surrounded by rape culture. Seeped in greed.
Will we ever learn?
Will we, as a community, ‘actualize’ ourselves?
nicichiarasa 