Trying to See the Top from the Bottom

There is a concept in psychology called self actualization. It is a place where someone is "(e)xpressing one's creativity, quest for spiritual enlightenment, pursuit of knowledge, and the desire to give to society...". According to the concept of Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs depicted in the above pyramid, self actualization can only be attained when the underlying needs are met. As I've been slogging through life trying to address the bottom tiers in the pyramid, I've been pondering the idea of being actualized without having the underlying structure in place.

The notion of actualization, or at least Maslow's proposed model, seems to imply that the individual more or less needs to work through the lower tiers like a ladder or checklist. Each step, or level, needs to be in place before the subsequent levels are completed. If we focus on the symbol rather than the concept it models, this makes perfect sense. No one in their right mind would build a roof for their house before laying the foundation and then the walls. There is a natural progression to building a house, and some steps can't be skipped. Similarly, the pyramid builders in Egypt didn't make the top of the pyramid and then work their way down to the foundation. Therefore, self actualization is something that should be the final piece to the human blueprint.

I can see that to a degree, but organisms aren't the same as architectural constructs. I would even venture to say that outside of the final construction, the metaphor falls flat. Working from a solid plan, the pyramid builders could have worked on the top, middle and bottom of the pyramid simultaneously. I could see a contractor framing interior walls before the foundation is completed. If you are like me, I'm sure you have seen preassembled roof sections on semis that just need to be unloaded, placed and fastened to the completed walls at a building site. That roof section may have been assembled before the house plans were even completed. In the hierarchy pyramid, I can't see someone who can't hold a job because there is some deficiency in his or her inability to reliably eat, sleep and poop.

So can we be actualized with gaps in the lower levels of the pyramid? I would argue "yes". These qualities are not dependent on whether or not the rest of the house is completed, but lacking in the lower items might increase the difficulty. The stuff down below could be a big influence on outcomes up top. We can work on those ideal attributes of the actualized man while struggling to meet the basic needs of the lesser being. Our experience might even be the richer for it.