# Human Motivation
Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up.
## The Tiers
1. **Physiological**: Food, water, sleep.
2. **Safety**: Security, employment, health.
3. **Love/Belonging**: Friendship, family.
4. **Esteem**: Respect, status, freedom.
5. **Self-Actualization**: The desire to become the most that one can be.
A motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs.
Researcher Note:
“This hierarchy serves as a diagnostic tool for identifying systemic friction in an individual's life. Note that while the pyramid is presented linearly, modern psychology suggests 'bottlenecks' can occur at any level simultaneously; one cannot effectively pursue self-actualization if the physiological foundation is unstable.”
“This hierarchy serves as a diagnostic tool for identifying systemic friction in an individual's life. Note that while the pyramid is presented linearly, modern psychology suggests 'bottlenecks' can occur at any level simultaneously; one cannot effectively pursue self-actualization if the physiological foundation is unstable.”