Most people have heard of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs at some point in their lives.
The basic notion is that human needs are grouped and ranked such that the basic needs — food, water, shelter, sleep, clothing — are the most important. Unless those needs are met, higher needs such as friendship, self-esteem, career advancement and the like do not become primary motivators in day-to-day life.
In Maslow’s pyramid, financial security is in the second layer, along with personal and emotional security, health and well-being, and safety.
I think it’s more important than that. For the majority of people, financial security is a base-level concern that directly affects all of those other basic needs.
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