Response to "Stepping Off Maslow's Escalator"

1.    What’s the outcome that Daniel Yankelovich is searching for when he suggests we revert back to a “…simpler, more primitive” sense of self?

2.    Are the hominid’s “super-egos” going to be the ultimate downfall of our society? Is it too late to turn back?

3.    At one point, Yankelovich discusses how one couple (Abby and Mark) needs to have the most “ands” in their lives to feel self-fulfilled; is this true for all of us? How many “ands” do you need to feel content?

I would like to discuss question number one. This chapter from Daniel Yankelovich’s book was extremely thought provoking and insightful. It was another one of our assignments I had to read twice to better grasp the message, but I think I understand where he was going with this one. Overall, Yankelovich is proposing that going back to a more humble sense of self will help save us from ourselves as a species. That means give up that false sense of entitlement and stop relying on “things” to make you feel fulfilled. He is suggesting the possibility of mainly living on the physiological and safety tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in a round-a-bout way to help reverse our super inflated egos. Basically, we should be going back to the basics of what we “need”, not having our “wants.” I may be wrong, but that is the final thought that came to me after reading this. Although the final paragraph surmised the myriad of ideas that were proposed by Yankelovich, it seems that he himself was a little unsure as to what may happen if we abandon all “desires” and focus mainly on our “needs.” Is it even possible?

I don’t think humans can go back to being humble creatures. Do we really have it in us as a species to put our egos aside and work together for a simpler life and find a true self-actualization of ourselves? In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, if one reaches self-actualization one can achieve morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts. So if we abandon some of the other levels in the pyramid, how can one achieve that ultimate state of existence? Realistically, this is probably not a reliable solution to man’s “me-first” way of living, but I always like to remain an optimist. With the amount of effort we put into beautifying and improving ourselves now, I don’t see us abandoning our egos to improve our world. Unfortunately, man is inherently selfish; not all, but most. It’s unrealistic to propose that we should all of sudden give up the “self-love” trend. As annoying as selfish, over-indulgent and egotistical people are, big is in! The richer you are and the more stuff you have means you’ve “made it.” So as soon as we accept the fact that most of us are all a bunch of greedy “stuff hounds”, I think we’ll actually start moving forward in a positive direction as a species. It’s easier to put up with the gotta-have-it-all-and-then-some types if you accept the fact that their “wants” are more important than anything else.