Friday
Moderator
Yes & No.And stupid question, is 'reproduction' supposed to be sex?)
There have been some attempts to revamp the pyramid putting mate acquisition, retention, and parenting near the top… but the whole thing with Maslow was the idea that each level / all of the “top” is sacrificed (painfully, or easily, in pieces, or in total; doesn’t matter) when the needs below aren’t met.
Parents? Overwhelmingly (abusive and neglectful f*cktards, for as much damage as they do, are the very small minority) will sacrifice anything/everything for their kids (including their own physiological needs at the very bottom of the pyramid, both a willingness to die for their kids, and to starve/freeze/sicken in order to feed their kids, keep them warm, get them medicine, etc); meanwhile those in search of a mate, or in attempts to keep one, will sacrifice one whole helluva lot (future plans and other tippy top pyramid stuff, often the first to get tossed out the window; journeys end at lovers meeting… meanwhile sacrificing their own physiological needs & desires in order to protect/provide for a mate; like dropppig out of school to work or getting pregnant despite the risks to one’s health, starting physical fights with those who threaten their mate, or abandoning their “life” -family/connections/etc- to run away with their mate, or head their own household, etc. is so common as to be considered normal / the natural order of things in most societies. Hundreds of different ways that one’s mate and offspring becomes one’s highest priority… the absolute foundation upon which the rest of their lives are built).
And all of that is healthy/normal/expected partnering/parenting before the life&death aspect -and changes to everything above on the pyramid in different way- being raped or regularly raped, forced or “trap” pregnancies, forced celibacy/held prisoner by one’s parents/spouse/enemies/politics, and other not being in control of one’s reproductive system has on one’s life.
So it’s not just food/water/shelter for one’s own self that forms the foundation of the pyramid but one’s sexual safety, being just as baseline.
Think PTSD… Life threatening trauma AND sexual assault. Because it’s that foundational.
Hence why it’s on the bottom of the hierarchy. Whether one currently has a family (mate &/or children) or not? That most people will sacrifice everything for that family, is one of those defining differences between healthy people & abusive/neglectful people. And that it doesn’t matter if you have a roof over your head, and lovely clothes, and delicious food if you’re being raped every day? One’s full oomph is gonna be directed on getting the f*ck up on outta there. Even if it threatens their other food/water/shelter needs for a time, sexual security is as important as food security, etc.
The whole modern ideal of “become your best self before having children”? Doesn’t take into account human nature & the ferocity of love… regardless of age, experience, social standing, etc. Nor, in my opinion, does it have much understanding about sacrifice, or what a person is willing to sacrifice even for a stranger, much less those they claim as their own.
Species survival. In part about sex, sexual needs/wants/desires. But also about a helluva lot more.