Maslow's Self-Actualization

1171 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Maslow's hierarchy of need

Maslow’s self-actualization was developed from his hierarchy of needs. In the hierarchy of needs there are seven stages. Maslow did not feel that self-actualization determined one's life; rather, he felt that it gave the individual a desire, or motivation to achieve budding ambition (Gleitman and Reisberg). As a person moves up Maslow's hierarchy of needs, eventually they may reach the summit self-actualization (Gleitman and Reisberg). The first stage is physiological needs, which are where an individual will find food and water; also they will be able to use basic functions such as sleeping and breathing.
After the individual has finished with those needs, they will go to second stage, which is their safety needs such as, security and shelter. The third stage is about social needs and acceptance for example, belonging or fitting in within a family or a group of friends. The fourth stage deals with self-esteem this refers to independence, self-respect, and respect from others.
The fifth stage is about the cognitive needs which, deal with knowledge, meaning, and understanding of the world. The sixth stage deals with aesthetic needs which are needs for beauty, order, and appreciation. Once an individual makes it through all of the stages they are now ready for the final stage self-actualization.
Self-actualization was based on finding the potential and fulfillment within oneself. For someone to truly understand this level they must complete the basic needs, but they also have to master those needs. Maslow states a more meaningful message of self-actualization "intrinsic growth of what is already in the organism or more accurately of what is the organism itself...self-actual...

... middle of paper ...

...tial they will finally know who they are and what they are going to do in life. This is a self-fulfillment for any human being to accomplish the final stage of the hierarchy of needs. For someone to know that they have finally found out what their truly capable of and knowing that they can do anything that they want.
In concluding, Abraham Maslow’s self-actualization focused on what motivates and desires humans to reach their potential. He may have thought finding self-actualization was nearly impossible, but everyone can find their own potential inside of them because everyone was created equal. They just need to find out who they really are and accept who they are to find their potential. For some people it may come easy to find their potential and fulfillment in life, but for others they might need to hit rock bottom to figure out what they are really made of.

Show More
Related

  • The Object Theor The Dynamics Of Intimacy: Case Study

    1870 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Erikson’s psychosocial stages comprise of eight stages which shape the development of the child in the growing years to influence its social behaviors in adulthood(Boundless, 2015).

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Maslow’s original theory talked about a pyramid shape of achievements that every person unknowingly is striving to achieve. The bottom level is physiological needs such as food, water, shelter, and warmth. As we move up the pyramid next is safety which is security (money), stability, and freedom of fear. These two bottom sections of the pyramid are known as the basic needs because everyone on earth requires these basic needs to move to the next level of the pyramid. The next level is belonging/ love needs consisting of friends, family, spouse, or lover. From here on up your base needs are very helpful in reaching your next needs, Self-esteem which includes achievement, mastery, recognition, and respect. Lastly is your self-actualization need where ...

    Read More

  • The Hierarchy Of Needs In The Fisher King

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    Very rarely does anyone meet all five needs. Per Videbeck, Maslow used a pyramid to arrange the needs. The first stage is biological and physiological needs: air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, the most basic needs. The second stage is, safety needs: protection from elements, security, and freedom of harm or threatened deprivation. The third stage is love and belonging needs: which include work, family, enduring intimacy, friendship, and acceptance. The fourth stage is esteem needs: self-esteem, achievement, status, self-respect and esteem from others. The fifth stage is self-actualizations: beauty, truth, justice, realizing personal potential, and seeking personal growth. When a person has a lower stage taken away the person will regress back to the bottom and have to start all over again. Per Videbeck, few people only reach the last stage and become fully self-actualization. A great example is both characters in the

    Read More

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Stage 2, they're living a life of quiet desperation: their behavior is under control but they continue to suffer, often due to past trauma and invalidation. Their emotional experience is inhibited. The goal of Stage 2 is to help the client move from a state of quiet desperation to one of full emotional experiencing. This is the stage in which post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) would be treated.

    Read More

  • The Breakfast Club Erikson's Theory

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    The different stages have different challenges and in case of any unsuccessful completion they are likely to reappear in the individual`s future. Erikson explains that the problems faced in one stage are not permanent and can be changed by another stage in the future. This theory well describes the life faced by Allison. In her realization of her present life of denial and lack of friends she realizes that she could still make some change in her future and forget all the hard moments she is going through(Cote,

    Read More

  • Abraham Maslow's Theory

    1621 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first type of need in Maslow 's theory is Self-actualization. In this stage, you begin to fulfill your potential, accept reality, and solve problems and being more creative. The second type of need in Maslow 's theory is Self-Esteem. In this stage, you begin to have confidence in yourself, respect others and others respect you. The third type of need in Maslow 's theory is the Belonging Need. In this stage, you feel like being accepted, loved by others, friendship, sex and other things. The fourth stage of need in Maslow 's theory is the Safety Need. In this stage, you are to have the feelings of protection, security and safe from dangers. And the last type of need in Maslow 's theory is the Physiological needs. this needs to refer to the physical things one needs to survive and they include; food,

    Read More

  • Racial Dissonance Definition

    501 Words  | 2 Pages

    Psychologist Abraham Maslow created the hierarchy of needs, outlining and suggesting what a person need to reach self-actualization and reveal the true potential of themselves. In the model, Maslow propose that a person has to meet basic needs in order to reach the true potential of themselves. Biological/physiological needs, safety needs, love/belonging need, esteem needs according to Maslow is the fundamental frame for reaching the peak of self. The last need to be met on the scale

    Read More

  • Erikson's Psychosocial Stages

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    Erik Erikson developed eight psychosocial stages that occur through life. These stages help parents of younger children understand what the child is thinking and why they are acting the way that they do. For a person to become a well-rounded adult they need to succeed in each level. This essay will discuss the first six stages into young adulthood.

    Read More

  • Their Eyes Were Watching God

    1864 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1954 an American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed that all people are motivated to fulfill a hierarchical pyramid of needs. At the bottom of Maslow's pyramid are needs essential to survival, such as the needs for food, water, and sleep. The need for safety follows these physiological needs. According to Maslow, higher-level needs become important to us only after our more basic needs are satisfied. These higher needs include the need for love and 'belongingness', the need for esteem, and the need for self-actualization (In Maslow's theory, a state in which people realize their greatest potential) (All information by means of Encarta Online Encyclopedia).

    Read More

  • Kaplan's Three Stage Model

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    Kaplan's three stage model. We discussed desire, excitement, and orgasm what I understand about those three-stage model which is desire, excitement, and orgasm. Those stages are important in our relationship each of them have a strong meaning that that cannot be unnoticed in a relationship first the desire is when someone have a strong want for sexual intimacy usually this phase referred when physical attraction involved, also the person can only feel the other person touch, smell, etc. a lot of things that can contribute to sexual desire. Also, excitement can be when you attract to the person physical to sexual desire. for example, when you see someone that you like or have interests your heart rate might increase, even your blood pressure.

    Read More

  • Evolution Of Nursing

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    Abraham Harold Maslow was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a humanistic psychologist and was best known for “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” (Good Therapy, 2015). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs includes the following five levels in ascending order: physiological needs at the base, safety and security, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization at the apex of the pyramid. A person must meet their needs in each level before continuing up the pyramid. Those who reach self-actualization know who they want to become in terms of talents, skills, and abilities (Groff & Terhaar,

    Read More

  • Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs And Ethics Analysis

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Unlike many of his colleagues at the time who were focusing on psychopathology, or what is wrong with individuals, he focused on how individuals are motivated to fulfill their potential and what needs govern their respective behaviors (McLeod)). Maslow developed the hierarchy over time, adjusting from a rigid structure where needs must be met before being able to achieve a higher level, to where the individuals can experience and behave in ways across the hierarchy multiple times daily depending on their needs. The hierarchy is comprised of 5 levels; Physiological, Safety and Security, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization. The bottom two levels are considered basic needs, or deficiency needs because once the needs are met they cease to be a driving factor, unlike psychological needs. Loving and Belonging and Esteem needs are considered psychological needs, and are different from basic needs because they don’t stem from a lack of something, but rather the desire to grow. Maslow theorizes that individual’s decisions and behavior are determined based on their current level of needs, and the ideal level to achieve full potential culminates in self-actualization; however, operating on this level cannot be achieved until the preceding levels of needs have been

    Read More

  • Humanistic Approach To Personality Analysis

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    Similarly, Maslow's theory also reflects that humans have an internal force to reach their highest potential (Maslow, 1968). Maslow examined the hierarchy of basic human needs and developed a pyramid of requirements which motivates human beings and shapes their personality. At the bottom of his pyramid are found the basic physiological motivations which are necessary for survival such as food and shelter. The next level incorporates the need for safety, both physical and psychological. This is followed by love and belongingness which relate to receiving and giving affection. Presuming the love need is met, the next level up is the need for esteem which includes the feeling of self-esteem and self-respect. At the top of the pyramid stands the complex need for self-actualization which is a meta-need as per Maslow (1964) and we can reach it through peak experiences. It is the highest level of growth when someone reached her or his capacity to the fullest. Maslow estimated that only 1 percent of people ever really fulfil this need (Maslow,

    Read More

  • Essay On Self Determination Theory

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Similarly to the SDT, there is a set of needs that must be met before self-actualization can occur. The hierarchy of needs is shaped like a pyramid with 5 levels, physiological needs, safety needs, love/belonging needs, esteem needs, and finally self-actualization. The physiological level includes the need for food, water, and oxygen. The safety need refers to shelter and security. The love and belongingness level refers to the human need for companionship, interaction, and includes romantic love. Esteem needs involve the self, confidence, and respect of and by others. Finally self-actualization refers to creativity, spontaneity, acceptance, problem solving, and other things that involve high-level thinking and acceptance of oneself, and the world around them. Self-actualization is referred to as “the realization of individual potential” (Maclagan 2003) and is not a state that everyone is able to reach. Actually, according to Goldstein, to say one achieved self-actualization would technically be incorrect. Unlike the others, self-actualization isn’t a need that can be fulfilled, but rather a drive. In this idea of self-actualization, a person who has reached this level of the hierarchy would constantly be working to improve themselves, and be the best they can be. Maslow stated a person who is self-actualized will constantly feel “‘restless’, and a strong desire to do something” (Maclagan

    Read More

  • Description in Detail of the Humanistic Theories by Rogers and Maslow

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    Self-actualization happens when a person’s ideal self (who they want to be) is corresponding or congruent in character with their actual behaviour (self-image) (Rogers, 1959). A person who is actualizing is considered as fully functioning person (Rogers, 1959). This implies that the person is in touch with his or her feeling and experiences, which are continuously growing and changing. According to Weiten (2014) ”Incongruenc...

    Read More

More about Maslow's Self-Actualization

Open Document