> However, many people may not realize that during the last few years of his life Maslow believed self-transcendence, not self-actualization, was the pinnacle of human needs. What’s more, it’s difficult to find any evidence that he ever actually represented his theory as a pyramid. On the contrary, it’s clear from his writings that he did not view his hierarchy of needs like a video game– as though you reach one level and then unlock the next level, never again returning to the “lower” levels. He made it quite clear that we are always going back and forth in the hierarchy, and we can target multiple needs at the same time.<p>Maslow’s hierarchy is out of fashion and some claim it's culture-dependent, but I still think it's a pretty good framework.<p>In every culture, if you need to defecate or are hungry, the need starts to gradually override other needs until fulfilled. So do safety needs.<p>I think only the belonging-love part and self-esteem are something that may be so deeply connected that they are hard to separate and culture may play a strong role. Self-transcendence/self-actualization may never become a need for a large fraction of people.