Thursday, February 16, 2006

Are You Self-Actualized?

Continuing on the discussion of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the highest level in the hierarchy is self-actualization. The phrase itself is generally defined as finding self-fulfillment and realizing one's potential.

To define and explore the concept of self-actualization, Maslow chose a group of people, some of whom were historical figures and some of whom he knew, who he believed fit his vision of a self-actualized person. Included in the group were Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Adams, William James, Albert Schweitzer, Benedict Spinoza, and Alduous Huxley, plus 12 unnamed people who were alive at the time Maslow did his research. He then looked at their biographies, writings, the acts and words of those he knew personally, and so on. From these sources, he developed a list of qualities that seemed characteristic of these people, as opposed to the great mass of us.

Here they are.

1. Reality centered - they could differentiate what is fake and dishonest from what is real and genuine. They were problem-centered, meaning they treated life’s difficulties as problems demanding solutions, not as personal troubles to be railed at or surrendered to. And they had a different perception of means and ends. They felt that the ends don’t necessarily justify the means, that the means could be ends themselves, and that the means -- the journey -- was often more important than the ends.

2. Autonomy - the self-actualizers also had a different way of relating to others. First, they enjoyed solitude, and were comfortable being alone. They enjoyed deeper personal relations with a few close friends and family members, rather than more shallow relationships with many people. They enjoyed autonomy, a relative independence from physical and social needs. And they resisted enculturation, that is, they were not susceptible to social pressure to be "well adjusted" or to "fit in" -- they were, in fact, nonconformists in the best sense.

3. Sense of humor - they had an unhostile sense of humor, preferring to joke at their own expense, or at the human condition, and never directing their humor at others. They had a quality he called acceptance of self and others, by which he meant that these people would be more likely to take you as you are than try to change you into what they thought you should be. This same acceptance applied to their attitudes towards themselves: If some quality of theirs wasn’t harmful, they let it be, even enjoying it as a personal quirk. On the other hand, they were often strongly motivated to change negative qualities in themselves that could be changed.

4. Spontanaeity & Simplicity - they preferred being themselves rather than being pretentious or artificial. In fact, for all their nonconformity, he found that they tended to be conventional on the surface, just where less self-actualizing nonconformists tend to be the most dramatic.

5. Humility - they had a sense of humility and respect towards others -- something Maslow also called democratic values -- meaning that they were open to ethnic and individual variety, even treasuring it. They had a quality Maslow called human kinship or Gemeinschaftsgefühl -- social interest, compassion, humanity. And this was accompanied by strong ethics, which were spiritual but seldom conventionally religious in nature.

6. Appreciation - these people had a certain freshness of appreciation, an ability to see things, even ordinary things, with wonder. Along with this comes their ability to be creative, inventive, and original. And, finally, these people tended to have more peak experiences than the average person. A peak experience is one that takes you out of yourself, that makes you feel very tiny, or very large, to some extent one with life or nature or God. It gives you a feeling of being a part of the infinite and the eternal. These experiences tend to leave their mark on a person, change them for the better, and many people actively seek them out. They are also called mystical experiences, and are an important part of many religious and philosophical traditions.

Maslow did not think that self-actualizers are perfect, of course. There were several flaws or imperfections he discovered along the way as well: First, they often suffered considerable anxiety and guilt -- but realistic anxiety and guilt, rather than misplaced or neurotic versions. Some of them were absentminded and overly kind. And finally, some of them had unexpected moments of ruthlessness, surgical coldness, and loss of humor.

Two other points he makes about these self-actualizers: Their values were "natural" and seemed to flow effortlessly from their personalities. And they appeared to transcend many of the dichotomies others accept as being undeniable, such as the differences between the spiritual and the physical, the selfish and the unselfish, and the masculine and the feminine.

***

Looking at the pyramid hierarchy (picture in the last post), it is remarkable how many other needs have to be fulfilled before you can hit this stage. Makes you wonder if humanity will ever be able to reach this stage in any meaningful numbers. Maslow put the percentage of self-actualizers as two percent of the population. All the things the media demean us with, all the snake oil hysteria the religious folk try to sell us and the ease with which the masses accept it are frightening in the context of this hierarchy.

BOB - the highlighted sentence answers your earlier question. :-)

250 Comments:

«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 250 of 250
At 7:43 AM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
I've been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

my website; highest paying jobs in america

 
At 2:39 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Touche. Outstanding arguments. Keep up the good work.


My website; legit online jobs review

 
At 2:51 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice at the same time
as you amend your website, how could i subscribe for a weblog website?
The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast offered brilliant transparent idea

Look into my page; legit online jobs legit work at home jobs legit make money at home jobs legit work online how to make money online how to make money at legit jobs

 
At 3:49 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello there, You have done a fantastic job. I will certainly digg it and personally suggest to my friends.
I'm confident they'll be benefited from this website.



Check out my web-site Day trading options

 
At 5:12 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

At this moment I am going away to do my breakfast,
once having my breakfast coming over again to read additional
news.

My web page - forex trading demo

 
At 7:10 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something that I think I would never understand.

It seems too complex and very broad for me.

I'm looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!

Also visit my weblog - can u really make money online

 
At 10:17 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think this is among the most significant information for me.

And i am glad reading your article. But want to remark on some general things,
The website style is perfect, the articles is really great : D.

Good job, cheers

my homepage; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXaJhdwZIpA

 
At 10:18 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am in fact pleased to glance at this web site posts which consists of tons of useful information,
thanks for providing these kinds of statistics.


My web page :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SnPSlwYwpQ

 
At 11:15 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not sure why but this weblog is loading incredibly slow for me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it a problem on my end? I'll check
back later on and see if the problem still exists.

Feel free to visit my page ... automated forex trading

 
At 11:18 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why users still use to read news papers when in this technological world
all is available on web?

Also visit my web site - make money now online

 
At 11:35 PM, March 18, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

My brother recommended I may like this blog. He used to be entirely right.
This post actually made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this info!
Thank you!

Look at my blog :: make Real money online

 
At 12:29 AM, March 19, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I believe everything composed was actually very logical.

But, what about this? suppose you added a little content?
I mean, I don't wish to tell you how to run your website, but what if you added a post title to possibly grab a person's attention?
I mean "Are You Self-Actualized?" is kinda boring.
You could glance at Yahoo's front page and see how they create article headlines to grab people to click. You might add a related video or a picture or two to get people excited about everything've written.
Just my opinion, it might bring your posts a little livelier.



My blog ... penny stocks online

 
At 9:06 AM, March 20, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi! Someone in my Facebook group shared this website with us so I
came to give it a look. I'm definitely enjoying the information. I'm
bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers!
Exceptional blog and wonderful design.

Feel free to surf to my page - what is the best way to make money online

 
At 9:35 AM, March 20, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Link exchange is nothing else however it is just placing the
other person's website link on your page at proper place and other person will also do same in support of you.

Also visit my web page; how to make real money online

 
At 10:57 PM, March 20, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

You need to take part in a contest for one of the greatest sites on the net.
I'm going to recommend this website!

Feel free to surf to my webpage ... how to make quick money in a day

 
At 1:34 AM, March 21, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi to every single one, it's really a nice for me to visit this website, it consists of precious Information.

My blog how to make money online today

 
At 8:57 AM, March 21, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you wish for to obtain a good deal from this
paragraph then you have to apply such methods to your won website.


Also visit my weblog ... ways to make extra money on the side

 
At 12:59 PM, March 21, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wonderful beat ! I wish to apprentice whilst you amend your website, how can i subscribe for a weblog web site?
The account aided me a appropriate deal. I were a little
bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered vivid transparent
idea

my weblog - how to make extra money online

 
At 6:50 PM, March 22, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hola! I've been reading your blog for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Porter Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep up the excellent work!

My blog - high paying jobs

 
At 5:00 AM, March 28, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Howdy, i read your blog occasionally and i own a
similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam responses?

If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can suggest?
I get so much lately it's driving me insane so any support is very much appreciated.

Look into my site ... cedarfinance

 
At 5:54 AM, March 28, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

May I simply just say what a comfort to uncover a person
that actually understands what they're talking about on the web. You definitely understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people really need to look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you aren't more popular
because you surely possess the gift.

my website ... http://www.pradasale-shop.com

 
At 11:14 AM, March 29, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post!
It is the little changes that make the biggest
changes. Thanks for sharing!

Here is my site ... ブランドコピー販売

 
At 8:49 PM, March 29, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hurrah! After all I got a blog from where I be capable of in fact take helpful facts concerning my study and knowledge.



My blog - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZOuC8FraM0

 
At 9:53 PM, March 29, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of
the pictures aren't loading properly. I'm not sure why but I think its
a linking issue. I've tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same results.

Also visit my web page; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddcKJDTQ7zI

 
At 10:58 PM, March 29, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

First of all I want to say superb blog! I had a quick question in
which I'd like to ask if you don't mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing.

I have had difficulty clearing my thoughts in getting my
thoughts out there. I truly do take pleasure in writing but it just
seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes tend to be wasted just trying to figure out how to begin.
Any recommendations or hints? Many thanks!

My blog post ... ways to make money fast online

 
At 2:20 PM, March 30, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fantastic site. A lot of helpful information here.
I am sending it to some buddies ans also sharing in delicious.
And of course, thank you in your effort!

Review my site - rolexコピー

 
At 9:06 AM, April 02, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello to all, the contents present at this web page are truly remarkable for people knowledge, well, keep up the
good work fellows.

Look into my website :: cedarfinance

 
At 9:24 AM, April 05, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I delight in, cause I discovered just what I used to be taking a look for.
You have ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless
you man. Have a nice day. Bye

My web site clickbank affiliate marketing

 
At 9:25 AM, April 05, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I got this website from my friend who shared with
me regarding this web site and now this time I am browsing this site and reading very informative content at
this time.

Stop by my webpage ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWtQw9OzNwY

 
At 6:26 PM, April 08, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fastidious answers in return of this query
with solid arguments and describing everything about that.


Look at my page ... what are binary options

 
At 8:47 PM, April 08, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
I'm planning to start my own website soon but I'm
a little lost on everything. Would you propose starting with a
free platform like Wordpress or go for a paid option?
There are so many choices out there that I'm completely confused .. Any suggestions? Thanks!

my blog post ... binary options signals

 
At 11:40 PM, April 08, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Appreciate the recommendation. Let me try it out.

my blog post ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoRWJriSgKc

 
At 12:49 AM, April 09, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey there and thank you for your info – I've definitely picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise some technical issues using this web site, as I experienced to reload the web site lots of times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your high quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my email and can look out for much more of your respective exciting content. Ensure that you update this again very soon.

my website http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLuC1nG5cPk

 
At 10:41 AM, April 09, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am really loving the theme/design of your site.
Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems?

A small number of my blog audience have complained about my site not
operating correctly in Explorer but looks great
in Chrome. Do you have any recommendations to help fix this issue?


Feel free to surf to my webpage: how to get money fast

 
At 5:58 PM, April 09, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Having read this I believed it was rather informative.

I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this content together.

I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount
of time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!


Here is my web page; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al2XPf2DgwE

 
At 8:54 PM, April 16, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Snedeker shot a 6-under 65 on "Moving Day," and moved the leader
board into second place despite losing a go to Mickelson.
Promotional Pocket Calendars - Handy, Practical, and Useful.
If you come across a bad hose, spray paint it to mark it and hang it aside.


My web blog ... www.celinebaggusalejp.com

 
At 11:07 AM, May 01, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, this paragraph is nice, my sister is analyzing these things, therefore I am going to convey her.



My web site ... Ralph Lauren Outlet

 
At 4:30 AM, May 21, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Today, I went to the beach front with my kids.
I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said "You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear." She put the
shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside
and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back!
LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!


My web-site; Psn Code Generator

 
At 2:01 PM, May 28, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

donna grant dating sites http://loveepicentre.com/taketour/ 50 dating 35
dating in europe [url=http://loveepicentre.com/contact/]dating zalma[/url] tips for dating
dating new jersey [url=http://loveepicentre.com/advice/]uk free dating[/url] toronto dating parents [url=http://loveepicentre.com/user/v_ugba/]v_ugba[/url] all free adult dating

 
At 9:22 AM, June 02, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

a robust cosmetic benefit for a internet business purpose.
Commencing a web pick is very quick and it entails a
reduced money. And This reason you seriously totally different starting from all others?
Students may possibly reside pair of so they can eight many.

http://www.sevilcanasansor.com/index.php?do=/blog/181804/celine-bags-is-actually-a-long-time-arrive/

my website ... b makowsky handbags

 
At 7:58 AM, June 10, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Guys online fashion has really come directly onto its own in recent
times. When stillhunting needed for deer, we must adopt to method they see.
Today, ladies wholesale handbags have become an important part linked with
womens outfit. Men's online fashion has now really come in its own in recent times. http://tech.lemanmanhattan.org/groups/lemanmanhattannews/wiki/86b79/Educational_Facilities_Focus_On_Sole_Path_To_Success_On.html

 
At 8:28 AM, June 10, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Been are the days, when hand possessions were used mainly for
carrying cash or luggage. Carnaby Street and Chelsea's Kings Road were virtual fashion parades. A different one week, another announcement of a major creator leaving Digicam Comics, it does sound. So does anything at all living and breathing in the woods. http://psngamertags.com/groups/trying-to-find-shoes-online-1986333959/

 
At 10:53 AM, June 10, 2013 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Narrowboat life is the solution for the constant worries of modern holiday living.
The ability of this captivating voice based platform lies in screenplay.
It can more or less be defined being an oxymoron of kind. Are you aware that something is going wrong but cannot find that weak phare?
http://www.ratubookmark.asia/user/profile/louispain/

 
At 10:15 PM, December 05, 2014 , Blogger oakleyses said...

polo ralph lauren, prada outlet, oakley vault, christian louboutin shoes, cheap oakley sunglasses, tory burch outlet online, true religion, michael kors outlet, coach outlet, prada handbags, michael kors outlet online, chanel handbags, louis vuitton outlet, tiffany jewelry, gucci handbags, burberry outlet online, kate spade outlet, michael kors outlet online, coach outlet store online, michael kors handbags, oakley sunglasses, louis vuitton outlet online, tiffany and co jewelry, longchamp outlet online, ray ban sunglasses, michael kors outlet store, louis vuitton, nike air max, longchamp outlet, red bottom shoes, true religion outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, jordan shoes, michael kors outlet online, nike outlet, ray ban outlet, christian louboutin, nike free, nike air max, burberry outlet online, kate spade outlet online, louis vuitton outlet, coach outlet, longchamp handbags, louis vuitton handbags, coach purses, christian louboutin outlet

 
At 10:21 PM, December 05, 2014 , Blogger oakleyses said...

babyliss, new balance outlet, replica watches, vans outlet, mcm handbags, celine handbags, beats headphones, nike trainers, nfl jerseys, giuseppe zanotti, jimmy choo shoes, ugg boots, birkin bag, asics shoes, canada goose outlet, ferragamo shoes, insanity workout, nike huarache, chi flat iron, hollister, abercrombie and fitch, uggs outlet, north face jackets, north face jackets, mac cosmetics, soccer jerseys, canada goose outlet, uggs outlet, uggs on sale, bottega veneta, instyler ionic styler, ugg boots clearance, nike roshe, valentino shoes, lululemon outlet, ugg, marc jacobs outlet, ugg outlet, longchamp, ghd, reebok shoes, ugg soldes, p90x workout, soccer shoes, wedding dresses, mont blanc pens, herve leger, canada goose outlet, canada goose

 
At 10:28 PM, December 05, 2014 , Blogger oakleyses said...

ugg, gucci, canada goose, iphone 6 case, hollister canada, vans, canada goose, swarovski uk, pandora jewelry, air max, ray ban, pandora charms, moncler, timberland shoes, moncler outlet, moncler, canada goose, replica watches, louis vuitton canada, uggs canada, coach outlet, juicy couture outlet, converse shoes, thomas sabo uk, nike air max, juicy couture outlet, ralph lauren, hollister clothing, moncler, hollister, supra shoes, louboutin, toms outlet, oakley, canada goose pas cher, parajumpers outlet, moncler, wedding dress, baseball bats, converse, swarovski jewelry, links of london uk, lancel, moncler outlet, pandora uk, karen millen, moncler, montre femme

 
At 6:35 PM, June 29, 2017 , Blogger raybanoutlet001 said...

ralph lauren outlet
ugg boots
hermes belts
nike air huarache
ugg boots
detroit lions jerseys
ugg boots
ugg outlet
chargers jerseys
coach outlet

 
At 6:01 PM, May 11, 2018 , Blogger Unknown said...

www0512
oakley sunglasses
canada goose outlet
oakley sunglasses
swarovski crystal
birkenstock sandals
pandora charms
kings jerseys
san antonio spurs jerseys
coach outlet
michael kors outlet

 
At 7:50 PM, June 04, 2018 , Blogger jeje said...

off white clothing
oakley eyeglasses
air huarache
air jordan 8
cheap oakley sunglasses
lacoste outlet
nike tn pas cher
adidas football soldes
coach outlet online
coach outlet online

 
At 7:18 PM, August 20, 2018 , Blogger ouch said...

0821jejeasics gel lyte 5 beige Certains dunks Nike asics gel stormhawk homme avis sont très légers aussi! Bercer les rues avec air jordan 11 retro low concord femme ces chaussures particulières. Nike Shox R3-R4 chaussure presto nike femme a pris un départ. Avec un chaussure nike a talon bleu ensemble de techniques Nike Air Max asics nimbus femme meilleur prix Traditionnel BW Dark Heavy Skies Azure Whitened Hommes air jordan pas cher boutique avis Nike Air Max 91! Vous pouvez asics gel france facilement effectuer correctement dans les aires de achat nike cortez homme jeux.

 
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 250 of 250

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home