“I’m someone who likes plowing new ground, then walking away from it. I get bored easily. For me, the big thrill comes with the discovering.”
- April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970
- American
- Psychologist, Creator of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Humanistic Psychology Pioneer
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Quote
“I’m someone who likes plowing new ground, then walking away from it. I get bored easily. For me, the big thrill comes with the discovering.”
Explanation
In this quote, Abraham Maslow reveals his own temperament as a thinker and pioneer, highlighting a deep passion for exploration, innovation, and discovery over maintenance or repetition. He compares his work to “plowing new ground”—breaking open unexplored fields of thought—and acknowledges that his interest lies not in refining what is already known, but in uncovering what is still hidden. This reflects a personality driven by curiosity, novelty, and the pursuit of insight, which are all traits he often associated with self-actualizing individuals.
Maslow’s admission also explains the nature of his contributions to psychology. He didn’t linger within established theories but instead charted new territory, founding humanistic psychology and later transpersonal psychology. His restlessness was not a weakness, but a strength—it propelled him toward groundbreaking insights about human motivation, potential, and the need for meaning. For Maslow, the “thrill” was in the moment of revelation, not the long process of systematization that followed.
This mindset is common among creative professionals, entrepreneurs, scientists, and innovators, who often thrive on the excitement of the new but struggle with routine or long-term management. In modern contexts, Maslow’s quote speaks to the importance of recognizing and honoring individual working styles and sources of motivation. It is a reminder that discovery itself is a noble pursuit, and that some of the most impactful thinkers are those who are willing to break new ground—even if they don’t stay to cultivate the field.
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