Abraham Maslow

Hello! My name is Abraham Maslow, but you can call me Abe. I was born on April 1st, 1908, in a busy place called Brooklyn, New York. When I was a boy, I was very shy and didn't have a lot of friends. Because of this, I spent most of my time at the library. Books were my best friends! I loved to read them and think about big questions, like, 'What makes people happy?' and 'Why do we do the things we do?'. I was very curious about what made people tick.

When I grew up, I went to a big school called the University of Wisconsin to keep learning. I decided to study psychology, which is the study of how our minds work and helps us understand people's feelings and thoughts. Most scientists back then studied what was wrong with people, but I wanted to do something different. I wanted to study what made people feel good, strong, and happy! I thought it was very important to learn about kindness, courage, and joy. After I finished school in 1934, I became a professor and taught other students all about my new ideas.

I came up with an idea that I thought could help everyone understand themselves better. I imagined a pyramid of needs. At the very bottom of the pyramid are the things we all need just to live, like food, water, and a warm bed. Once we have those things, we need to feel safe. The next step is feeling loved by our family and friends—we all need hugs and friendship! After that, we need to feel proud of ourselves for what we can do. When we have all of those things, we can finally reach the very top of the pyramid. I called this 'self-actualization,' which is a big word for being the very best you can be! I first wrote about this idea in 1943.

I spent my whole life exploring what helps people shine their brightest. I believed that every single person has the ability to be wonderful and do amazing things. I lived to be 62 years old, and my work continued to inspire people long after I was gone. Today, teachers, doctors, and leaders all over the world use my pyramid of needs to help others grow and be happy. I hope my ideas remind you that you are important and you have everything inside you to be your best self.