The Human Characteristics of the Aged

Talking or thinking of the aged people, quite often people assume somewhat a biased attitude. To become old, it seems to be of a different species, socially, culturally, physically, sexually and financially. Many young people think that it is hard for them to understand the strange behaviors of the old. But if you learn something about Maslow¡¯s theory of human needs, you will have a better understanding about the aging people.
Maslow diagrammed his famous Hierarchy of Needs in the late 1960's in the shape of a pyramid. Physiological needs, safety needs, love needs, esteem needs and self-actualization arrange themselves from bottom to top in the pyramid. Physiological needs are the very basic needs such as air, water, food, sleep, sex, etc. When these are not satisfied we may feel sickness, irritation, pain, discomfort, etc. Safety needs have to do with establishing stability and consistency in a chaotic world. These needs are mostly psychological in nature. For example, we all nee...