Going beyond your fundamental needs to live your best life

What drives human behavior? According to the famous Hierarchy of Needs theory by Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, our actions are motivated by certain physiological and psychological needs that progress from basic to complex.

According to his 1943 “A Theory of Human Motivation”, we have five basic needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization.

It’s important to note that Maslow said human needs are flexible due to external circumstances or individual differences. The need for self-esteem, for instance, is more important than the need for love in some individuals, while for others it’s the need for creativity. Here are the five basic needs of humans—which one is the most important to you?

1. Physiological needs:

These are biological requirements for human survival, they include food, air, warmth, clothing, water, sex, etc. According to his theory, “if a person is struggling to meet his physiological needs, he is unwilling to seek safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization on his own.”

2. Safety needs:

This includes health, personal security, emotional and financial security. It’s a basic human need to want to feel safe, but not everyone puts in the work to have this need met. Take health as an example: there is more information than ever before about how exercise can help us achieve physical wellbeing, and which food can improve our health, but not everyone pays attention to the information.

Financial security is often being overlooked too as people spend money to indulge in things that make them happy (shopping, for instance), rather than saving money for the future. But the stress of debt can contribute towards depression or anxiety and make us unhealthy. If you want to ensure a comfortable financial life and the safety of your family for the future, FWD Life Insurance has upgraded its popular investment-linked plan Set for Life so you can enhance your life with less worries. Set for Life now comes with two embedded add-ons: SafetyPro, which gives additional benefit upon your death due to accident; and SurePro which we'll waive future premium payments in case you’re diagnosed with any of the 42 major critical illnesses, or total and permanent disability. It means more coverage and benefits for you, from FWD!

3. Love and belongingness needs:

According to Maslow, we need to feel that we belong to social groups. We need to feel the love from family and friends in order to feel the sense of belonging, it means “being comfortable with and connection to others that results from receiving acceptance, respect, and love.” In the absence of these, people experience loneliness, social anxiety, and even depression.

4. Esteem needs:

Maslow’s theory classified esteem needs into two categories: esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement, mastery, independence); and the desire for reputation or respect from others (status, prestige). We get this from our relationship with people close to us, from our workplace, friends, and our relationship with ourselves. To some people, the need for self-esteem is most important. The way we teach and treat children can help determine their self-esteem too. If they grew up in a supportive environment and were encouraged by their parents and teachers, their self-esteem will be higher.

5. Self-actualization:

“People have 

This is about reaching one’s full potential and enhancing one’s life. This has often been described as a journey rather than a destination. When people put limitations on themselves and consider the limitations others put on them, the need for self-actualization will not be met. Maslow believed that people are born with the desire to have a better life and to be all they can be. Human history is filled with stories we can learn from and be inspired by people who have become successful through hard work, creativity and courage.

People have different life goals and ways to get there. In the end everyone wants to have their needs met and life improved—which takes a lot of patience, focus, and planning.


FWD Set for Life helps you plan and upgrade your life with a guaranteed life cover until 100 years old, plus the opportunity to build your wealth in local and global funds. It also helps you prepare for eventualities as you can add more coverage such as HealthPro, which covers the insured against 42 major critical illnesses including cancer, heart attack, and stroke; and 15 minor critical illnesses, including early-stage cancer, severe osteoporosis and angioplasty. You can also choose to add RecoveryPro, which gives you daily hospital cash benefit if you are in the hospital and you can get 100% more if you are in the ICU. With these add-ons, FWD is giving its clients the choice, flexibility, and control over their protection needs.