ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Maslov index

Okay kiddo, so have you ever heard of a pyramid? You know, like the ones you see in movies where explorers find ancient treasures in tombs? Well, imagine there is a pyramid that shows what people need to be happy and feel fulfilled.

At the very bottom of the pyramid, are the most basic needs like food, water, and shelter. These need to be met before anything else can happen.

Then, as we go up the pyramid, we get to things like safety, love and belonging, self-esteem, and at the very top, self-actualization, which means feeling like we are living our best life and achieving our full potential.

The Maslov Index is like a way to measure where people are on this pyramid. If someone has everything they need from the bottom levels, and they are working towards the top, then their Maslov Index is high. But if they are struggling with the basic needs at the bottom, then their Maslov Index is low.

Knowing someone's Maslov Index can be helpful for understanding how to help them. If someone is struggling with basic needs like food and shelter, then we need to help them with that first, before we can help them reach their full potential on the top of the pyramid.