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For several years, I have been defining retirement as "the time in life when the primary focus of daily activity shifts from economic productivity-earning a living-to self-realization-chasing one's dreams." Recently, someone asked what I meant by "self-realization." Frankly, I thought it was one of those terms that almost defines itself. In fact, it seemed so transparent that I hadn't really given it much thought. It seemed obvious to me that it meant "pursuing your own sense of who you are, and what your life is all about," but that explanation just drew a blank stare. I found myself grasping for some thread of common knowledge that might illuminate my meaning. I asked, "Are you familiar with Maslow's hierarchy?" The questioner was familiar with the concept and seemed satisfied with my explanation that this was the top level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
I thought about this question, and my answer, and found myself wondering if the straw, so eagerly grasped in a panic, really supported my definition. I looked on the Internet and found a couple of articles that refreshed my memory of Maslow's theory, and found that my answer was right on; in fact, it was more insightful than I had realized.
You may recall from Psych 101 that Maslow believed that human beings had a natural tendency to grow in a positive and self-governing way. The thing that most people remember about his theory is his hierarchy-a five-level pyramid of needs. The bottom, and most basic, level is physiological needs. We have a series of basic needs-air, food, water and sleep-required to keep alive. Once these survival needs are met, there is a natural tendency to think about the next level, which are safety needs, including security, order, stability and protection. Once these needs are met, the need for love and belonging comes into play. Family, community, loved ones and affectionate relationships are the antidote to loneliness and isolation. Once the need for belonging is satisfied, people tend to look for self-esteem. People seek status, fame, dignity and even dominance. They also seek to rise in their own appreciation of themselves-to seek self-respect. These four levels are called deficit needs-as soon as we sense a deficit in any of...