Generation Need Shift – Survival to Growth to Enjoyment

Generation Need Shift – Survival to Growth to Enjoyment

I was just thinking about life , demographic changes and its impact on present day society and lifestyle . Have human being changed ? Is todays younger generation a different human being than my fathers generation .

Do we remember Maslow’s hierarchy of Needs ( see below )

·         Physiological Needs. The physiological needs includes the basic needs that man needs for the survival of his body which food, clothing, air, shelter

·         Safety and security Needs

·         Love/Belongingness Needs , family , friends

·         Self-Esteem , prestige , feeling of accomplishment Need

·         Self-Actualization ,creative activities , realising full potential need.

This Maslow’s hierarchy need when made was a step by step progression in the life of a human being . But when I evaluate this I find its not in a single human life but has spaced itself in 3 different generations – father , son and grandson in Indian context.

Our father generation – Most of them took job as it served the basic mean for survival ( Roti , Kapda and Makan ). The permanent nature of job also added security and safety . Belongingness and love was an integral part of society . They hardly looked beyond this . Whatever success they got they were happy so very few really strove for higher accomplishment and for most sense of contentment existed . Individual value system, behaviour was main factors for esteem and respect from others which was a high priority . they derived self actualisation more by laughing freely , celebrating festivals , meeting in family functions i.e stress free life  

Our generation – We saw a shift  from safe and secured government job and started moving toward private job . Basic need and safety and security was a requirement but not necessarily a priority . The belongingness and love which was to come from family friend slowly started shaping into business and professional interest and gains . Family time got replaced with long working office hours . Esteem slowly started getting replaced by greed of money so everything acceptable for some . Last 2 decades now money is main relative and friend for many . Accomplishment means more flats , properties and assets . Self actualisation for many is now holidaying abroad , watching movies , dining , partying etc or spending time on TV , internet , social media.

Next Generation ( Todays Youth ) – Do they really need to worry about psychological need ? . Parents have already purchased few flats for them , have built assets to enjoy life . Formal study has been replaced by hobby centric study . For many study abroad is the motto . safety and security is nothing to worry as “ Paisa hai to koi chinta nahi “ . Their life and its essence starts from 3^rd level. Social media plays a big role in its execution . How many really care for esteem ? They live in pragmatic world where not much of emotions are seen in any relationship . They adopt to new realities of life and move on n . They don’t hold the baggage of past for long and venture new things which excites them  . They find self actualisation in creative things ( Tik Tok , stand up comedy , netflex ) .

Well these are the shift generation wise from survival to growth to enjoyment . But what shift one might see in generation to come i.e after todays generation ?

If they start from self actualisation level as all the earlier needs have been generated by their earlier generation then what will be their definition of self actualisation ?

If it’s a reality that older generations are being ignored or some unfortunate ones thrown out of homes or left to feed themselves or the younger lots happy settling abroad leaving their parents here only what next left now to happen in family?

Today one has to pay even for the very very basic needs ( food , water and now fresh air to breath ) . News is fresh oxygen parlours setting up their shops and with level of pollution increasing what one can expect further ? So are we going to see new form of needs in Maslow’s hierarchy ?

Watch the younger lots on road – engrossed in their mobile while walking on road that not even noticing a beggar or old man or a sick person on road . Their only encounter with such emotions if any on reel scenes ( movies ) and not in real scenes .

Why this analysis ?

If each one of us love our children and seeing the changing lifestyle if we feel that our same beloved children might be facing an unimaginative distress when they become old then who is responsible for all this ? Its our generation only . We initiated all the changes , we accepted all the changes , we introduced to them all the changes and so only we have to undo some of the wrong changes .

Make them to understand how to earn basic need ( don’t build too much wealth for them ) , let them fight for their own safety and security . teach them cultural, social , human values and not only IT led values . Let intelligence be real and not make world dependent on artificial intelligence only. let them understand the real love , happiness . relationship emanating from humanity . Teach them to explore their inner self through meditation  .  Lead them to path of real and natural Godly self actualisation and not worldly self-actualisation .

If we fail to undo our own mistakes then our children when they pass their prime and face distress in latter part of their life they will only blame us .

Its sometime to ponder and act…………………………….