In this article, we will attempt to explore the following questions concerning a topic I have dedicated the past three years of my life to and utilized in my coaching techniques.
This topic is SELF-ACTUALIZATION.
Let’s delve into Self-Actualization with questions:
What does it mean to be a self-actualized person?
What are the characteristics of self-actualization?
How do you know if you are a self-actualized individual?
To answer these questions, we need to take a brief look at the work of psychologist Abraham Maslow.
Maslow’s Different Perspective
During Maslow’s time, psychology primarily focused on mental illness. Psychologists were focused on understanding and potentially curing mental disturbances, with neurosis and psychosis being the main themes. However, Maslow took a different approach.
Rather than studying mental illness, he posed a different question:
“What does positive mental health look like?”
A summary of his lifelong exploration of this question yielded an original idea that remains popular even 60 years later: SELF-ACTUALIZATION.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Physiological needs (air, water, food, homeostasis, sex)
Safety needs (shelter, clothing, routine, familiarity)
Love and belongingness needs (affection; connection with family, friends, and colleagues)
Esteem needs (self-respect and respect from others, self-esteem, achievement, reputation/prestige)
Self-actualization needs (self-improvement, realizing one’s innate potential)
Most people associate Maslow’s work with the hierarchy of needs.
We see how this hierarchy is depicted with the following pyramid/triangle:
Maslow Didn’t Build the Pyramid!
Did you know Maslow never actually placed these needs in a pyramid?
Maslow only stated that these needs are hierarchical in nature, meaning lower-level needs must be met for higher-level needs to become the focus of attention.
Although he did not create it, it became known as “Maslow’s Pyramid.” Interestingly, this structure didn’t accurately represent Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Additionally, it subjected him to unfair criticisms from those who believed this pyramid misrepresented his theory.
Two examples of these criticisms include:
- The notion that individuals can only be motivated to fulfill one need at a time, the idea that a need must be 100% satisfied before a higher-level need kicks in and that a satisfied need no longer influences behavior,
- The idea is that everyone organizes and activates the same needs in the same sequence.
Maslow had anticipated these criticisms in his 1943 paper in Psychological Review, stating that they would create a misimpression of his theory. He emphasized that individuals have partially satisfied as well as unsatisfied needs simultaneously, that a lower-level need can only be partially satisfied before a higher-level need emerges, and that the sequence of needs emerging is not fixed.
So who turned this theory into the famous pyramid? While there is no absolute certainty, I’ve read in numerous articles that psychologist Charles McDermid is credited with it. This pyramid appeared in an article titled “How money motivates men” published in Business Horizons in 1960, arguing that the pyramid could be applied to create “Maximum motivation at the lowest cost”.
This idea led to the emergence of the “Hierarchy of Human Needs,” depicted with a triangle, symbolizing a hierarchy of higher levels and climbing to the top of a ladder or ascent.
Growth Needs vs. Deficiency Needs
Maslow drew a line between individuals motivated by growth needs and those directed by deficiency needs. All needs beneath self-actualization are considered basic human needs, which Maslow termed “Deficiency Needs.”
When these needs are not met, we feel that something is lacking in our lives, leading to tension and displaying neurotic behaviors.
For example:
When we lack a roof over our heads, our safety need is threatened.
Meeting our basic needs tends to capture our attention until satisfied. However, once satisfied, we may increasingly focus on growth needs. While basic needs are external, growth needs are internal.
When growth needs capture our attention, we are no longer motivated by the thoughts of others (family, friends, coworkers, or anyone else). Instead, we are guided by a deeper force within us.
Definition of Self-Actualization
Maslow defined self-actualization as:
The continual realization of potentials, capacities, and talents,
Fulfilling a mission (life purpose, service to the oneness, or profession),
A more comprehensive understanding and acceptance of one’s inner nature,
A continual trend towards unity, integration, or synergy within oneself.
Self-actualization is the need to be the person one was meant to be, to reach one’s full potential.
A.Maslow
Why Should One Self-Actualize?
An individual actualizes this potential for their own fulfillment, not for any external gain or concern about what others may think or say (external esteem needs).
Do all our basic human needs need to be met before we can self-actualize?
Fortunately, no. However, the less tension we feel due to our basic needs, the more time and energy we can dedicate to realizing our potential.
13 Characteristics of Self-Actualization
In his work “Motivation and Personality” (1954), Maslow presented an article titled “Self-Actualizing People: A Study of Psychological Health”.
In this enlightening report, Maslow emphasized 13 characteristics of self-actualized individuals:
- Superior perception of reality
Self-actualized individuals possess an unusual ability to accurately analyze others and detect deception in personalities. This superior perception brings with it the capacity to determine what is good for oneself and make effective decisions.
- Greater acceptance of self, others, and nature
Maslow found that these mentally healthy individuals had less guilt, shame, and anxiety. Self-actualized individuals accept their own nature, including deficiencies and contradictions, without genuine concern. In other words, self-actualized individuals tend to acknowledge and embrace their shadows (Shadow Selves).
- Increased spontaneity/authenticity
They are more spontaneous in their behaviors, lives, and thoughts. Naturalness and simplicity are significant features of self-actualization.
- Increased focus on problem centering
They focus not only on personal issues (ego-centered) but also on problems outside themselves. They are often aware of the tasks they must fulfill, which may require much of their mission and energy in life. They intend to live in this direction.
- Increased desire for social distance and privacy
They are comfortable being alone without being obsessed with others being around. They prefer solitude and privacy more than other people.
This characteristic of self-actualization contradicts basic prejudices in social psychology.
According to Maslow’s research, despite all academic rhetoric, the impulse to “belong” in adulthood, that is, the need to be part of social groups, signals a lack of positive mental health.
- Increased autonomy and resistance to enculturation
Self-actualized individuals are relatively independent of their social environments. They focus more on developing their potential, motivated by inner growth and self-control impulses, whereas a regular individual is dependent on social or cultural forces and is motivated by them.
- Abundance of appreciation and richness of emotional reactions
They can appreciate ordinary elements of life that become commonplace to others with admiration, curiosity, and delight.
For example, They can observe a tree or a sunset for a long time without getting bored.
With this example of self-actualization, you can see how abnormal mental health is in modern society, where many people are often fixated on screens.
- Increased frequency of peak experiences
Maslow referred to this in his book “Religions, Values, and Peak-Experiences” as the “Mystical experience or oceanic feeling.” He found that these mystical experiences were more intense forms of losing the self or transcending the self.
According to Maslow, everyone has access to peak-experiences, but self-actualizing individuals experience them more frequently.
- Increasing identification with human beings
Later research in developmental psychology confirmed Maslow’s observations.
People progress from identifying solely with themselves (egocentric), to identifying with a group, whether familial, religious, or political (sociocentric), and then to identifying with all of humanity (world-centric).
Maslow emphasized that self-actualizing individuals realize they are part of the whole.
- Improved interpersonal relationships
Self-actualizing individuals have deeper relationships compared to other adults because they have a greater capacity for love and breaking down ego boundaries. However, they maintain relatively small circles of friends, forming deeper connections with only a few selected individuals.
- A more democratic character structure
Another characteristic of self-actualizing individuals is their ability to be friends with anyone who has the appropriate character, regardless of class, education, political beliefs, race, or color. As they identify more closely with the human species, they reject such classifications.
- Increased creativity
A universal trait observed in all self-actualizing individuals studied by Maslow was an increase in creative expression. This creativity isn’t the specialized talent that requires years of development and practice but rather the more innocent, playful, and spontaneous expression of creativity found in young children.
- Changes in the value system
Self-actualizing individuals establish a solid value structure based on philosophical acceptance of human nature and physical reality. These values form the ethical foundation of their lives.
Furthermore, they recognize that many of our so-called “problems” are seen as trivial and disappear with the appreciation and acceptance of human nature.
Self-Actualizing Individuals Are “A Different Breed”
According to Maslow, self-actualizing individuals represent the evolution of humanity.
In his book, he wrote:
“There is so much that self-actualized, mature, healthy, fulfilled people can teach us that sometimes they almost seem like a different breed of human beings.”
Finally, Maslow revealed a truth that resonates deeply within us:
When our basic human needs are met, self-actualization occurs spontaneously.
If you feel unsafe (need for safety), unloved (need for belongingness), or worthless (need for esteem), your motivations focus on fulfilling these needs.
When you’re outside your center, your instinct is to fulfill basic needs. But once you reach your center, there’s no longer a sense of lack. How we reach our center is a topic for another discussion.
My Final Thoughts on Self-Actualization
Maslow asserts that self-actualization is a sign of positive mental health. It’s not reserved for a select group of intellectual individuals. It’s a birthright for everyone. Many of us resist self-actualization under the control of the ego. This might indicate the need for professional support. Please be open-minded about seeking it. Intend doing everything you can to reach this existential state that will open new doors in your life.
With that, I conclude, emphasizing the multitude of intentions. Until our next discussion, take care.
Warm regards,
Nihal
