If you're not familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, here's a Wikipedia article on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

The first thing that strikes me is that Mormonism isn't too keen on self-actualization, unless your "self" matches the church's ideas about what you should be. Otherwise, Mormonism stunts us, keeps us from growing and becoming fulfilled.

I got looking at the other levels of needs and saw several other places where the church tries to offer itself up as the fulfillment of our needs. What the church offers is often fake, imaginary or exactly the opposite.

It's not surprising, though, once we understand that the church's goal is to make us increasingly dependent upon the church (if you leave, you lose everything) without the church actually supplying anything we need. They just dangle the carrot (the promises and "necessary ordinances") and the stick (the judgment, guilt, ostracism) while the members do all the work.

No wonder I was so messed up when I was a Mormon.

Haven't they? At least that was my experience.

An organization simply cannot fulfill most of these needs, particularly those at the top (self-esteem and self-actualization). If anything, they hinder it by giving you a pre-chewed response for everything.

Ick. So glad that is not my life anymore.

...not external actualization or institutional actualization.

Safety and base needs really aren't a big part of the problem. Once we get into love and friendship we start seeing some serious problems.

I remember years ago, as a Mormon, learning about Maslow. I thought that all I needed to achieve self actualization was to be more obedient and more holy. That thought is fairly ridiculous now.

When I looked at the linked pyramid I was actually struck by how it's the safety level where problems arise. I think so much of what TSCC does is keep people floudering on this level. It's not enough to be moral, and have a family, you must be nearly without sin, and maintain an eternal family. Those two pieces alone are enough to throw off the balance because within TSCC it's nearly impossible to relax, or trust in those things. One must always be on guard against temptations that may threaten morality, or the eternal family.

That doesn't even touch the resources aspect of safety! TSCC encourages financial instability very early on. While the written messages may be about obtaining an education so that one can provide for a family, etc. and the blessings that come from a full tithe, the culture of TSCC encourages irresponsibile financial choices that only serve to further entangle members.

Most people will need student loans to gain an education, so there's some debt for you. Next, someone is seen as either a pariah, or damaged if he or she emerge from college unmarried, so there's another (usually) poor financial choice. Even if a couple graduates before having kids, the kids will usually quickly follow and we know how expensive that is. And then there's the underlying percpetion that righteousness manifests as financial prosperity so even if one can't really afford certain things they will borrow money to have the house, or the car, or both for appearances sake. And let's, once again, remember the tithing they need to pay on top of everything else. There is very little chance of getting ahead of the game, and enjoying financial security, when all of these other things bog you down by the time you're 25, at most.

I really see this safety level as the most damaging when it comes to TSCC. No one can ever "rest on their laurels" long enough to have any quality time to focus on meeting those higher needs.

Mormonism 'Totally' replaces Individual fulfillment with group needs. It starts with such subtle items as "Every Member A Janitor".

Cookie Cutter, One Size Fits All aren't exactly motivations / inducements for individuality, are they?

This has to be close to the center of things the GAs want to keep members away from, while at the same time they feature the edgy mormons on 'and I'm A Mormon'.

this is why Mormonism's 'changes' (such as they are/aren't) are so painfully slow for ChurchCo.

I remember being a depressed member who thought that "diversity is just the variation of imperfection." Any difference from morgbot behavior was strongly discouraged in a million subtle ways. It was a depressing thought I did not like, but it was really in line with the Mormon cult/church. It kept us down.
The cult did not even allow for a sense of real security. They always had threats hanging over our heads. Mormons must be low on the hierarchy, or at best, just have some needs minimally met at the lower levels of the pyramid.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2012 11:41AM by mtnmdwcookiemonster.

mtnmdwcookiemonster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The cult did not even allow for a sense of real
> security. They always had threats hanging over our
> heads.

Ooo, I like that. The church promises security, but then constructs so many ways we can lose that security. That's no better than the stress and anxiety of having no security.

Remember those bishops who couldn't bear to be seen is less that suit/tie? I always wondered... did they go to bed with them on? Totally an image-PR oriented package. Any personal growth or moving up the scale... almost overtly BANNED, not just discouraged.

The cult programming aimed at shattering your psyche and installing a cult identity, and exploiting your fragmented self doesn't do wonders for the old self-esteem, either.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2012 05:29PM by athreehourbore.

I don't know how it is now, but 10+ years ago, you studied Maslow in every freakin college class you took. Somehow it was worked into it.

When I resigned and got far enough away from the cult to really look at it from the outside in, it was SO evident that Mormons never make it past the middle of the pyramid because the so-called church makes sure that there are so many superficial things that are "needs," both physical and emotional, that really aren't, that they are always stuck trying to get those needs fulfilled. And, of course, the cult is the only place you can do that. I believe it really is a conscious effort on the part of the few people who profit from it to keep their bottom line dependent on them.

Why, after I left, did I all of the sudden have the desire to go back to school, finish my degree, get a job that had a little respect attached to it, get interested in social justice organizations, want to do something to make the world a better place? Because I was freed from the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy.

Some stuff the church likes to encorage but control. Like for some playing the violin would forfill some of those needs. Unfortunatly playing the violin is not the type of useful music for church stuff so the violinist gets to play the peano. Then playing thair instroment of choice is not encoraged and the one they dont like is. So emotianal needs are almost met theres enough of a tricle of them to keep peole hooked and enough threats of what will happen without them but just not enough to progress.