Dead Poets Society

        Recently in Psychology, we viewed a movie called "Dead Poets Society."  It was all about young teenage angst and "finding yourself'--very classic.  Anyway, as with most movies, if not all, there were psychological terms that could be related throughout.  The object of This week's blog is Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which includes physiological needs, safety needs, needs of love, affection and belongingness, needs of self-esteem, and needs of self actualization.  Maslow states that the lower level needs must be fulfilled before the higher levels can be met.                     
          The first level is physiological needs, such as the need for food and water.  Throughout the movie, the boys are seen in the cafeteria at various times, and especially, during the Winer months, they all bundle up in warm clothes when they go outside. After finding out about Neil's death, the boys go outside in the snow and they are seen wearing sweaters, scarves, and other winter weather gear.  They are meeting their need for warmth, which keeps them alive, which therefore allows them to fulfill higher level needs such as safety needs, etc.  Their physiological need was met.
         The second level is the need for safety.  This need is the need for protection.  This is a need that often goes unnoticed because most have shelter and a bed to sleep in at night.  The boys of the Dead Poets Society were no different.  They all resided in a lavish boarding school with beds to sleep in at night and guardians to watch over them. They were all protected, which allowed them to go on to fulfill higher levels of needs.  Their need for safety and protection was met.
         The third level is the need for love, belongingness and affection.  All the boys met their need for belongingness by forming the Dead Poets Society.  They were part of a group that made them fill like they all belong.  This need for belonging was met for all the boys, except for maybe Todd, who was shy and withdrawn.  Eventually, however, he becomes a part of the group.  Also, Knox falls in love with a girl who is unavailable.  He wants for her to love him, and he persists until she agrees to see a play with him.  The fact that she showed him affection met his love and affection need.  The fact that the boys' belongingness, love and affection needs were met, allowed them to fulfill the next level of the hierarchy of needs.
         The fourth level of needs is the Self-esteem needs.  This level states that humans needs self-esteem and positive reassurance from other human beings.  The group of guys encouraged each other greatly, and Mr. Keating most of all encouraged them to seize the day; that they were capable of doing whatever they set their mind to.  He gave Neil the self esteem he needed to perform in the play.  After the play was over, everyone congratulated Neil on what a great job he did, which fulfilled his self-esteem need.  However, his father quickly tore it down, and Neil took his own life. With the exception of Neil, Mr. Keating's support and support of the other boys, allowed the young men to meet their need for self-esteem.
           The fifth level is self-actualization.  This sates that a person finds who they are and what their purpose in life is; for example, an artist makes art and a musician makes music.  We can see this self-actualization in Todd,  At first, he was shy, and was always in the shadow of his brother, but the events of Neil's death and the courage that Mr. Keating gave him allowed him to find his voice.  At the end, he along with the other members of the Dead Pet's Society defiantly stand on their desks and exclaim, "O Captain, my Captain."  Todd found his voice and who he was as a person.  In that moment, he met his need for self-actualization and completed fulfilling the levels of the hierarchy of needs.
                 The journey of Todd, Neil, Mr. Keating and the other boys of the Dead Poets Society, offered a great example of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs and how the lower levels, such as the need for food and shelter must be met before the higher levels, such as the need for self-esteem and self-actualization, can be fulfilled.