''Motivation and Personality'' is a book on

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

by Abraham Maslow, first published in 1954. Maslow's work deals with the subject of the nature of human fulfillment and the significance of personal relationships, implementing a conceptualization of

self-actualization Self-actualization, in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, is the highest level of psychological development, where personal potential is fully realized after basic bodily and ego needs have been fulfilled. Self-actualization was coined by the organis ...

. Underachievers have a need for social love and affection, but a self-actualized person has these "lower" needs to be gratified and is able to pursue his or her own path towards self-actualization. Maslow's book is perhaps the best known contemporary work on human needs. Maslow postulated a

hierarchy of human needs Maslow's hierarchy of needs is an idea in psychology proposed by American psychologist Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" in the journal ''Psychological Review''. Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his o ...

stretching from basic physical needs at the bottom to spiritual or transcendental needs at the top. In ''Motivation and Personality'', Maslow argues that, in order for individuals to thrive and excel, a health-fostering culture must be created. Maslow is among the psychological theorists who believe that when parents fail to provide a safe, nurturing environment, their children will develop deep feelings of insecurity. Maslow believes that well-being causes people to freely express their inherent potentials.

References

1954 non-fiction books Psychology books Books by Abraham Maslow Works about personality Harper & Brothers books {{psych-book-stub