Maslow's Hierarchy Applied to the 2016 Election

What we've learned since the election is that there's no easy way to explain the result. There are various reasons many types of people voted the way they did.

As I read accounts of the the election results from both sides, the image of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs popped into my head as a possible rubric.

Maslow's Hierarchy ofNeeds Fast Company had a great piece on the words used by each candidate in their respective convention speeches (ain't data grand?).

Trump keywords

violence, jobs, failed, work, protect, safety

Trump was speaking to a person who is lower on Maslow's Hierarchy; the working class.

The people in Flint, Michigan with no potable drinking water are struggling to achieve the "Physiological" step. Trump's rhetoric about ISIS, and "law and order" spoke directly to people who firmly planted on the "Safety" step.

It's no surprise that areas typically associated with lower levels on the Hierarchy voted red. These people aren't looking for love or belonging. They want job security and food on the table.

Look further up the ladder and you'll start to see traits that are noticeably lacking in a typical Trump supporter.

Clinton keywords

people, believe, together, working, America

Confidence; respect for others; fighting for the rights of those with less. These were the traits of a Clinton voter, and someone (at least) at the "Esteem" level of the Hierarchy.

These people aren't looking for any old job, they want a job that they're passionate about.

My Facebook feed has proven to be an echo chamber of people at this level (or above). It's no surprise that nearly 100% of them voted for Clinton. Theirs is a viewpoint that apparently only half the country is equipped to agree with.

Can Trump deliver on his promises? It's irrelevant. The language he used gained the support of people who believe he can, and it's up to his opposition to remind them where he's falling short.

Longer term, in order for us to truly progress as a society, we need to move more people further up the Hierarchy. We need to start by listening and learning from each other.

Only then can we achieve self-actualization as a country.