Self actualization among people

Hierarchy of needs

Abraham Maslow founder of hierarchy of needs arranged the human needs in the form of hierarchy. These needs start from physical needs at the bottom and self actualization at the top where the people are self-actualized. Maslow argued that physical needs, which are essential for survival, must be satisfied first before satisfying the higher needs.  Higher needs become increasingly psychological and long-term rather than physiological and short-term, as in the lower survival-related needs. Maslow mentioned certain features of self-actualized people.

1. Physiological needs
2. Safety needs
3. Love and belongingness needs
4. Esteem needs
5. Self-actualization needs

Expanded hierarchy of needs

1. Physiological and biological needs

They include air, food, sex, sleep, shelter

2. Safety needs:

These needs encompass security, order, freedom from fear, and stability

3. Love and belongingness needs

These needs include trust and acceptance, exchange of love and affection, being a part of a group (family, and community).

4. Esteem needs:

There are two categories of esteem needs.

1. Need of esteem for oneself
2. Need that others accept and value.
3. Cognitive needs:

Such needs contain the desire for understanding and knowledge, exploration, and need of meaning and predictability.

5. Aesthetic needs:

These needs encompass the search for and appreciation of beauty, balance, form etc.

6. Transcendence needs:

According to these needs, values that transcends beyond the personal self motivates a person. These needs include experiences with nature, mystical experiences, sexual experiences, religious faith, etc.

7. Self actualization needs:

This level identifies the complete potential of a person as well as the realization of this potential. Maslow described self actualization needs as aspiration fulfill all the things which are in the potential of a person, and to become of which one is capable.

Features of self-actualized people

Self actualization is the recognition of the full potential of the people. self actualization needs are placed at the peak of needs mentioned by Abraham Maslow. It is considered as exception. Theoretically, people all are able to become self-actualized but majority of them do it to a limited degree or even don’t do it. Maslow said that only two percent of the people achieve the level of selfactualization. After studying 18 people, he explored fifteen features of self-actualized people. He Following paragraphs mention these people.

1. The self-actualized people efficiently perceive reality, and at the same time can bear the ambiguity.
2. They accept themselves as well as other as they are;
3. They are impulsive in thought as well as action;
4. The self-actualized people are not self-centered but are problem-centered;
5. They have sense of humor;
6. They have an objective approach towards life;
7. The self-actualized people are very much creative;
8. They are worried for the happiness of humans;
9. They have the ability to deeply appreciate the basic life-experience;
10. They launch satisfying relationships with some people;
11. They need privacy;
12. Peak experiences;
13. They have got democratic attitude;
14. They maintain strong standards;
15. They show resistance to enculturation.

Ways to achieve self actualization

Maslow described eight methods were which could lead to achieving the self actualization needs. They are mentioned as follows.

1. Be present

According to Maslow, one salient feature of such individuals is that these individuals have un-self-conscious quality of fully absorbing in the present. It indicates that the involvement of individual without his/her self-consciousness.

2. One is aware of his choices

The humans are presented with choices on daily basis. In response to these choices, they classify their selves either as progressive or regressive. So they need to be aware of choices and aware that which choice accelerates growth.

3. Be accepting:

The person who wants to meet the self actualization needs, are required to become accepting oneself and other around him/her. This person tries to look at the individuals and situations with kindness.

4. Practicing mindfulness:

The process of Mindfulness encompasses the learning of focusing of the present moment and accepting it. This process helps the individual to become aware of oneself and the world around him/her.

5. Being empathetic

The self-actualized people care others as this empathy and compassion is vital element of self actualization. Such individuals imagine one in the situations of others, and try to help in improvement of the world and try to imagine the methods which could be adopted to make one’s community a better place to live.

6. Practicing openness:

The persons who have fullfilled self actualization needs, approach the world with open mind. It is because the process of openness helps the person to learn about the world and oneself.

Critical analysis of Maslow theory

This theory has some limitations. One of the important limitations of this theory is the use of qualitative methodology used for measuring the features of self actualization needs. He used biographical analysis for the collection of features of 18 people whom he considered as self-actualized people.

There are various problems with the approach he used for gathering the features of self-actualized people. Firstly, this method is subjective in nature because this method gives importance to the researcher’s opinion and this opinion may lead to biased results which ultimately threatens the validity of obtained data.

Secondly, Maslow analysis was based on biased sample which was limited mainly to educated white male persons. On the basis of this approach, the results cannot be generalized to general public specifically the female population.

Thirdly, empirically testing the concept of Maslow’s self actualization needs is extremely difficult. Thus this theory is based more on speculations rather than empirically proving it.

Fourthly, one assumption of maslow theory is that before, reaching the higher level of need, the individual must fulfill the lower level of need first. This is not necessary in many instances. For example, many cultures where people live in poverty can reach the higher stages of Maslow theory. Similarly, some creative people in-spite of their poverty reached the stage of self-actualization during their life.