Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory proposed in 1943 by a man named Abraham Maslow. It is a theory of human developmental psychology, and it states that humans develop in five stages: physiological needs, safety needs, social belonging, esteem and self-transcendence. A human being can only proceed to the next stage after fulfilling the stage prior to it. Maslow studied what he called "exemplary people," such as Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt, rather than mentally ill or neurotic people. His hierarchy still remains a popular framework in sociology research and psychological instruction.

Stage 1: Physiological needs

Physiological needs are those that are the basic requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body will die. Examples of physiological needs are things such as food, water, shelter and sleep.

Stage 2: Safety needs

Once a person's physiological needs are fulfilled, you can move on to safety needs. These include health and well-being, as well as financial security and personal security.

Stage 3: Social belonging

The third level of human need is social belonging. Deficiencies within this level such as neglect or shunning have been proven to affect the individual's ability to form relationships. Social belonging needs include having friends, family, and maybe a significant other.

Stage 4: Esteem

Esteem (aka ego needs) develop after achieving a sense of belonging. Having a status of recognition and being valued by others is a human need. Often times, this is achieved by an extracurricular or hobby.

Stage 5: Self-transcendence

The 5th and final stage of the hierarchy of needs is Self-transcendence. Once all your basic needs have been fulfilled, you approach this 'extra' stage: one in which you do not satisfy yourself, but satisfy other. Self-transcendence is reached by some other goal, such as altruism or spirituality.

As of now, it has been said that someone cannot pass from one stage to another until the stage prior has been fulfilled, although this is disproven by some of the less fortunate. There have been many examples of bums of New York already transcended to the fifth and final stage, although even the first stage is not fulfilled. Apparently, the less fortunate are more eager to give. However, whether or not Maslow's hierarchy of needs is true or not is still to be proven.