Abraham H. Maslow quotes
1908 – 1970 · 20th century, USA · Psychologist, founder of humanistic psychology
About Abraham H. Maslow
Born in 1908 in New York and died in 1970 in Menlo Park, Maslow promoted a more humane, flexible approach to psychology and science. He wrote The Psychology of Science (1966) and is known for his work on human motivation.
Works: The Psychology of Science (1966); theory of the hierarchy of needs
Quotes
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
Source: The Psychology of Science: A Reconnaissance, 1966 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence appears in Maslow’s 1966 book The Psychology of Science: A Reconnaissance; the familiar short form is a later paraphrase of his wording.
Maslow warns that familiar tools shape how we perceive problems: rely on one method and every situation starts to look like a use for that method. He wrote this in a 1966 critique of method‑centered science to urge flexibility and humility in problem‑solving.