Self-actualization means the need for personal growth and development that may exists throughout our life. If we are self-actualized, then we work hard to grow and become what we want to be in life and reach our full potential. However, to achieve all these in our life we need to answer some questions. Are we an honest person? Are we really creative? Are we following strong moral/ethical standards? If the answer of all these “yes” then we may be on our way towards achieving self-actualization.
Abraham Maslow was a prominent psychologist mostly known for his contributions to humanistic psychology. His interests in human motivation and self-actualization stemmed from his experiences both early on as a timid child and later on as a father witnessing the horrors of World War II.
According to Maslow, people have lower order needs that in general must be fulfilled before higher order needs can be satisfied. The 'five sets of needs are physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, and finally self-actualization'. This is illustrated in the below figure.
Although self-actualization is most often associated with Maslow, the term was first coined by Kurt Goldstein. Goldstein characterized self-actualization as an individuation, or process of becoming a “self,” that is holistic means the individual realizes that one’s self and one’s environment are two pieces of a greater whole and acts as a primary driving force of behavior in humans.
Although Goldstein’s concept did not get much traction at the time, it was popularized when Maslow adopted it into his theory on the human hierarchy of needs. Maslow discussed self- actualization by stating, “What a man can be, he must be. This needs we may call it as self- actualization”. In other words, self-actualization can generally be thought of as the full realization of one’s creative, intellectual and social potential through internal drive, which is reverse of external rewards like money, status, or power.
Since self-actualization is based on leveraging one’s abilities to reach their potential, it is a very individual process and will probably vary significantly from person to person. Here we will discuss the characteristics of a Self-Actualized Person. A self-actualized person is described as someone who feels fulfilled and has accomplished all the things for which he/she is capable of accomplishing in one’s life through personal growth and experiences. These are the moments of deep meaning or emotion. Here are a few characteristics of a self- actualized person:
- Problem-centered but not self-centered.
- Highly creative.
- Work hard and takes responsibilities.
- Strong moral/ethical standards.
- Honest and avoids deception.
This list of characteristics may or may not exist for every self-actualized person. We can be self-actualized without being problem-centered if we have a number of other positive characteristics relating to our desires in life. The ability to reach self-actualization is based on our success in reevaluating what we need to survive in order to reach the accomplishment and fulfillment that we seek in our life. As human beings, we have basic psychological needs for personal growth and development throughout our lives. By accomplishing self-actualization, we are able to find meaning and purpose of our life.