The Theory of Self-Actualization

In the course of our routine, daily lives, we often end up wondering what could be our purpose in this life. Am I a better person than I was two years ago? Have I improved in any way that could be considered ‘self-development? While it has been established that human beings strive for actualizing themselves, very few of us reach there. 

The theory of self-actualization was first proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1968-70 from his views on human motivation. The theory propounded psychological health and wellbeing by classifying the various needs of human beings in a hierarchy to portray a picture of human behavior. According to this theory, people have some basic needs that need to be fulfilled to attain self-actualization. Why this theory emerged to be the most famous one is because these needs need to be fulfilled in that very particular order that has been depicted in his pyramid (hierarchy) of needs. 

In this hierarchy, the most basic needs are placed at the bottom of the pyramid, implying that these need to be fulfilled before meeting more social, emotional, and self-actualizing needs. The lowermost level represents the basic psychological and biological needs that are basic to survival. These include gratification of hunger, thirst, and sex. Humans and other animals have needs that constitute internal physical and physiological imbalances that produce a drive. This drive stimulates behavior which leads to actions to achieve these goals. The satisfaction of achieving these certain goals reduces the drive. 

The elucidation of motivation has been anticipated from the concept of instinct. The term indicates an inborn pattern of behavior that is determined biologically rather than learned. It is an innate and fixed way of behaving that animals do in response to stimuli. These behaviors are predictable and innate tendencies are found in all members of a species. Examples of instinct would be flight, reproduction, curiosity, parental care, etc. Instinct always has an impetus that drives the organism to do something that reduces the impetus. The basic biological needs that arise from the instinct are hunger, thirst, and sex. The gratifications of these are essential for the sustenance of an individual. 

The level of the hierarchy includes safety needs. Only upon meeting the basic biological needs does the need for security from threat arises. Safety needs include both physical and psychological safety. The need includes having a safe shelter, job security, healthcare and basically, inculcates our natural desire for a safe, orderly and predictable world that is somewhat within our control. Safety needs to be attained in the environment before meeting any higher-level needs. 

The next includes belongingness needs that constitute our love and belonging needs. As humans, we crave interaction with others. This level of the hierarchy outlines all needs for friendship, social intimacy, love, and family. We need to feel belonging to a group and need to give and receive love. 

Once a person has achieved the needs of the prior three needs, the need for a person’s self-esteem arises.  It is defined as an innate force that moves the person to become more complex, balanced, and integrated, i.e. achieving balance and complexity without being fragmented.  In essence, being the same person despite the variety of experiences that one is subjected to.  Integrated here means a sense of a whole, being a complete person.  Esteem needs encompass confidence, strength, self-belief, social and personal acceptance, and respect from others. These needs constitute the key stage in attaining self-actualization. 

Self-actualization refers to a state of realization of a person’s potential, self-fulfillment, and seeking personal growth. A self-actualized person is self-aware, socially responsive, creative, spontaneous, and open to novelty, challenges, and peak experiences. A self-actualized person has a capacity for deep interpersonal relationships. People concerned with any lower-level needs fail to attain self-actualization. 

As the generation of today, we fail to escape or overcome conflicts that may hamper satisfaction at any level of need. Psychological distress often arises from feelings of alienation, loneliness, and inability to find any meaning or genuine fulfillment in life. Growing narcissism also aggravates these feelings. Humans are motivated by the desire for personal growth and self-actualization and to grow emotionally. These needs could be curbed by the environment, society, and family. 

In such cases, humanistic-existential therapies help in self-actualization. This form of client-centered therapy was first proposed by Carl Rogers, one of the founders of humanistic psychology. 

Healing in this therapy occurs when the client can perceive the obstacles to self-actualization and remove them. The therapy requires free emotional expression which the family and society normally curb as it is generally feared that free emotional expression can be disruptive to society. The therapy creates a non-judgmental, permissive, and accepting atmosphere to achieve balance, complexity, and integration in the client’s emotions. The therapist here is merely a facilitator and guides the client who’s responsible for the success of the therapy. The client has the freedom and responsibility of her/his behavior. The main objective of the therapy is to expand the client’s awareness. Healing takes place when the client initiates a process of self-growth and understands the unique personal experience of the client by herself/himself. 

The pressure to constantly evolve and be productive might be too overwhelming at times. Self-actualization can be considered the long-term goal while we overcome the day-to-day obstacles in life. In the end, self-actualization is about progressing to the next level and doing the best we can to give meaning to our lives.