Abraham Maslow

Self Actualization

Self Actualization

• self actualization or the drive for personal growth - This is the primary motivation for all people – an inborn drive to be the best we can be; to fulfill our natural potentials, whatever they might be.

• Phenomenological or Person‑Centered• importance of accepting personal responsibility

for your own life• focus on the here and now

Hierarchy of Needs

Characteristics of Self-Actualizing People

Self Actualizers: • Are Realistically oriented - they set realistic

goals and expectations for themselves, others and the natural world. They are non-defensive and accept themselves, others and the natural world as they are. 

• Are spontaneous and true to themselves • Are autonomous and independent. Resist

conformity to the culture or to others' opinions but are NOT rebellious for rebelliousness sake! 

Self Actualizers :

• Have generally had peak experiences - profound mystical or spiritual (although not necessarily religious) experiences. 

• Identify with humankind. Feel they are part of the universe. 

• Tend to have profoundly intimate relationships with a few specially loved people rather than superficial relationships with many. 

• Have a philosophical rather than hostile sense of humor. 

• Are highly creative.

Eight Ways to Self Actualize

• 1.Experience things fully, vividly, selflessly. Throw yourself into the experiencing of something: concentrate on it fully; let it totally absorb you.

•  2. Life is an ongoing process of choosing between safety (out of fear and need for defense) and risk (for the sake or progress and growth): make the growth choice “a dozen times a day.”

Eight Ways to Self Actualize, cont.

• 3. Let the self emerge. Try to shut out external clues as to what you should think, feel, say, and so on, and let your experience enable you to say what you truly feel.

•  4. When in doubt, be honest. If you look into yourself and are honest, you will also take responsibility; taking responsibility is self-actualizing.

Eight Ways to Self Actualize, cont.

• 5.Listen to your own tastes. Be prepared to be unpopular. 

• 6.Use your intelligence. Work to do well the things you want to do, whether that means finger exercises at a keyboard; memorizing the names of every bone, muscle, hormone and so on in the human body; or learning how to finish wood so it looks and feels like silk.

Eight Ways to Self Actualize, cont.

• 7. Make peak experiencing more likely; get rid of illusions and false notions; learn what you are not good at and what your potentialities are not. 

• 8. Find out who you are, what you are, what you like and don’t like, what is good and what is bad for you, where you are going, what your mission is. Opening yourself up to yourself in this way means identifying defenses- and then finding the courage to give them up.

Nature vs Nurture

• Psychodynamic--------\• Psychoanalytic\ Humanist Behavioral• <‑1‑2‑3‑\‑4‑‑5‑‑6‑‑7‑\‑‑\‑‑‑--‑----‑‑‑--‑‑‑‑‑\‑‑‑‑‑‑>• nature 8 nurture• person

situation• internal external

• 8. Humanism 

Individual vs Group

Uniqueness of Similarities

the individual among people

• <‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑>• Behaviorist Social Psychoanalytic Cattell• Humanists Learning Psychodynamic Big 5• Allport

Eysenck