The 3 Ps of Success

Abraham Maslow, a well-known humanistic psychologist, believed that human

needs are arranged in stages in a hierarchy. Maslows hierarchy of needs is composed of 5
stages, beginning with physiological needs (water, food, etc.), then safety needs, social
needs, esteem needs and ending with self-actualization. To move on to another higher
stage, one must fulfill the current needs of the immediate stage. Maslow clarified that
once these stages were met, self-actualization would be achieved. So, where does
education come into play within Maslows hierarchy? Is education the basis of each stage
and its completion?
When examined on the surface, the hierarchy doesnt seem to have any real
connection to education. However, when looked at in a deeper way, the evidence that
education is of importance is revealed. While there are many stages to this hierarchy, the
last stage, and most sought after and important, is the one I want to focus on. Selfactualization includes realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal
growth and peak experiences. This is what I hope to achieve through my education. I
hope that when it is all said and done, I can reflect on how my education impacted me in
some of the greatest ways. It is so easy to get caught up in doing something that is easy
and uninteresting, but that is exactly what I want to avoid. The true way to selfactualization is by chasing your dreams, and listening to what really speaks to you.
However, Maslow stated that only one in a hundred people reach selfactualization essentially because our society rewards motivation primarily based on
esteem, love and other social needs. So how, through education, can we increase the

number of people who can reach self-actualization? The answer is simple: purpose,
passion, and perseverance.

Purpose
purpose
prps/
noun
1. thereasonforwhichsomethingisdoneorcreatedorforwhichsomethingexists.

Formostpeople,collegeisaplacetomakefriends,havefun,anddecideyourfuture.
Also,formostpeople,collegeisexpensive,timeconsuming,anddifficult.Theaverage
costofcollegeforstateresidentsthatattendapubliccollegeisabout$9,000.Theprice
significantlyincreasesforoutofstateresidentsandforprivatecolleges.So,howdoyou
getabangforyourbuck?Consideryourpurposeforgoingtocollegeandultimatelywhat
definesyouasaperson.Whenapurposeisevident,thetimeandcostofcollegewill
seemlesslikeaburden.

Passion
passion
paSHn/
noun
1.anintensedesireorenthusiasmforsomething.

Passionandpurposegohandinhand.Whenyouarepassionateaboutasubject,you
determineapurpose.Itisimportanttounderstandthenatureofyourpassionaswell.
Typically,whenyouarepassionateaboutacertainsubject,otherswhosharethesame
passionwillappear.Thus,fulfillingesteemneeds.Whereisyourpassioncomingfrom?
Why?Ultimately,passionwilldriveyoutoyourfullestpotential.

Perseverance
perseverance
prsvirns/
noun
1.steadfastnessindoingsomethingdespitedifficultyordelayinachievingsuccess.

Bumps in the road are only natural. College isnt going to be a walk in the park.
The demands of college are high and challenging. Natural selection in every college is
present. It weeds out the unmotivated and weak. So allow each bump to make you
stronger and to challenge you. If you determine your purpose, and understand your
passion, perseverance will come naturally!

InPlatosTheRepublic,hetouchesonthesubjectongettingtoocomfortableor
stayinginourowncavesoffamiliarity.Theprisonersarechainedtowhattheyknowand
refusetoleave.However,ifweneverleave,howdowefindwhatwearepassionate
about?Whatourpurposeis?Andhowdowelearntopersevere?Andtheansweristhis:
takearisk.Learnwhoyouareanddetermineapurposeforwhyyouwenttocollege.
Takethefirethatpassionignitesanduseittowardsyoureducation,andultimatelyyour
future.Andpersevereallthebumpsthataretocome.InthewordsofMaslow,Ifyou
planonbeinganythinglessthanyouarecapableofbeing,youwillprobablybeunhappy
allthedaysofyourlife.

Sources

"Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Simply Psychology. 17 Sept. 2007. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html>.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://dictionary.reference.com>.
"Abraham Maslow Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/abraham_maslow.html>.