DR. EDWARD HOFFMAN

ABRAHAM MASLOW'S DAILY GEMS FROM HIS BIOGRAPHER

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Abraham Maslow on January 18:
The Need for Proactive People

"Real and compassionate democracy needs a large proportion of active agents, rather than pawns, and produces them well. With too many pawns, it would break down into authoritarianism...The Theory-Y boss is non-controlling, the Theory-X boss or manager or leader is even less so. And yet all this is compatible with sternness, real justice, firing employees, not to mention the upholding of justice, order, excellence, and all the other Being-values. [We need} both totally accepting love and Being-justice." (1970)
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At the end of Maslow's life, he was insistent that his psychological system involved accepting human flaws and weaknesses, as well as their strengths and talents. To view all people as capable of growth and self-actualization is not the same as stating that all people are growing ande self-actualization. The key for Maslow is seeing potential, and seeing reality.

Abraham Maslow on January 17:
Humanistic Management and Politics

"The Theory X-atmosphere {in an organization} is split, secretive, separative, win-lose, jungle philosophy=atomistic. The Theory-Y atmosphere is holistic. Dynamic means also norms. Politics has a goal and a direction: that is, self-actualization for all. Also a criterion by which to judge how healthy or diminishing-regressing the political institutions are. Politics=who gets what?=zero-sum game, adversary, win-lose, anti-synergistic...The good leader makes followers feel stronger, not weaker." (1970)
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During Maslow's final months, he was working on the application
of his system of self-actualization to large organizations and political systems. He was convinced that it was necessary for workers, managers, and all citizens to transcend win-lose dichotomies--and develop a vision and path of self-actualization for all.

Abraham Maslow on January 16

Abraham Maslow on January 15


Abraham Maslow on January 14

"To see paradise when one is in paradise is realistic, what I call eucognitive. But to see either a jungle when one is in paradise or paradise when one is actually in a jungle is dis-cognitive, incorrect, blind, and neurotic....Likewise, to trust an untrustworthy person is dis-cognitive; to mistrust a trustworthy person is also dis-cognitive. Both amount to bad judgment and intuition...The real question is "Do they see correctly?" not "Do we like what they see?"
(1970)
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Throughout Maslow's writings, he emphasized the importance of perceiving the world accurately and realistically. In this sense, discernmenent is a crucial trait of self-actualizers. In Maslow's cogent view, the wise see both the good and the bad, and act accordingly. In contrast, the foolish or immature fail to make clear distinctions. This is true in many realms ranging from business and organizational psychology to education.


Abraham Maslow on January 13

"Theory Y education has this built-in defect. It assumes what may be false to assume: that is, interest, desire and motivation in the student. Mechanization will be preferred by the unmotivated.
This parallels the critique of humanistic and transpersonal psychology: that it assumes people to be life-positive. For the person who wants to die or to lapse into inertia, to coast, it's all irrelevant." (1968)
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Maslow was absolutely right about this. Managers and educators, including college professors, are setting themselves up for disappointment
if they treat every person as motivated by higher needs for growth, achievement, and self-actualization. Many employees will openly say that they are there only for the paycheck, just as many students will say that only the grade matters to them. Maslow therefore emphasized that it's vital
to understand the motivational orientation or level of the employee or student, and then respond appropriately.


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ABRAHAM MASLOW'S INSIGHTS DAY-BY-DAY

Abraham Maslow on January 25:

February 3, 2010

Tags: The Joy of Being Around A Baby

"As my grown daughter and I talked, we realized that much of the women's liberation movement stuff, female discontent, must come from lacking this ultimate and finalistic Being-love for a baby. Because if one regards a a baby as sheer joy, an absolute and unqualified blessing, gratuitous grace, just plain, undeserved luck, how could (more…)

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