Before I start I'd like to make 2 things clear: I use the definition of entrepreneurship given by Johannisson, that is to say the wide one, where somebody is an entrepreneur when he undertakes a projet, something new, no matter if it is for profit ends, social ends or else.
Then regarding the Maslow Pyramid, here's a picture for those who don't know about it:
What matters here is the final level, the top of the pyramid. What is Self-Actualization? Well, as its name suggests it (watch out here is a bit of philosophy/psychology!), it is the stage where you act for the Self (whereas all the rest are for the Ego).
Basically it means that you do things not for what it brings to you (by definition you already have all that you desire), but for the sake of it.
It is in this stage that you will want to share what you have, that you really love people or that you will want to bring something to this world, not for the glory or money you can get, but simply for the sake of it: you have a goal higher than your own self.
Now down to my point!
It seems the entrepreneurship process can occur to fulfill any of the needs listed in the Pyramid (starting a business to eat, to buy a house, organizing activities to meet people, etc...). Only the "why" differs, but I won't talk about this here.
When a Man reaches the top, he will then continue to seek happiness but under a new form: giving, sharing, improving the world and others' lives (while respecting them, not imposing a vision of course).
There are many ways to fulfill the first 4 levels of the Pyramid (it is enough to watch around us to see that!), but my question is the following:
Does someone who reaches the top automatically becomes an entrepreneur, in the sense that he will seek to undertake something new?
Is it the way Humans find to give their contribution, when they feel they have everything and want to give more?
And thus: does anyone who fulfills all his/her needs ends up as an entrepreneur?
(In the same way that every children is one at birth and then chooses some other paths, could we finally all come back to that when our different paths have led us to fulfillment?)
As Bengt Johannisson has told us during the lesson: "an entrepreneur is someone who wants to make a difference". I believe this is a definition extremely close to what somebody in the top of the Pyramid would seek...
My questions here are obviously very open, since I have no answer myself!
I'm just curious to hear a bit what everybody thinks about this, according to their own experience.
Well, that's it for the extra!
Bye for now!
David
Hej David
RépondreSupprimernice post, and very relevant discussion, though i don't really know if a human will ever think he has everything
that thought is hard to get :)
Hi,
RépondreSupprimerVery interesting blog entry, I do have one comment though: you state that the four first levels in Maslow's hierarchy of needs 'are for the Ego', but I do not fully agree on this. The first level is the basic psychological needs, which you need to survive, and the second is safety, which is also something you need. I would not really put these together with the 3rd and 4th level. I do agree to some point that you're doing it for yourself, but not in an Ego way (hope this sounds right, I do not know how to put it into words).
Otherwise, it was nice reading your blog entries, well done.
Take care, Andrea