MASLOW THEORY OF SELF ACTUALIZATION

Maslow(1908- 70) served as the chair of the psychology department at Brandeis from 1951 to 1969 had originated the idea of self-actualization in his famous book, lists the following characteristics of self-actualizers

1. more efficient perception of reality and more comfortable relations with it
2. acceptance (self, others, nature)
3. spontaneity; simplicity; naturalness
4. problem centering [as opposed to ego-centered]
5. the quality of detachment; the need for privacy
6. autonomy; independence of culture and environment
7. continued freshness of appreciation
8. mystic and peak experiences
9.A feeling of kinship with others] and deeper & profound interpersonal relations
10. the democratic character structure
11. discrimination between means and ends, between good and evil
12. philosophical, unhostile sense of humor
13. self-actualizing creativity
14. resistance to enculturation; the transcendence of any particular culture

Self-actualization Theory -

1. Concentration "First, self- actualization means experiencing fully, vividly, selflessly, with full concentration and total absorption" . Usually, we are relatively unaware of what is going on within or around us.
2. Growth Choices If we think of life as a series of choices, then self actualization is the process of making each decision a choice for growth. We often have to choose between growth and safety, between progressing and regressing. To choose growth is to open oneself to new and challenging experiences but to risk the unknown and possible failure.
3. Self-awareness In the process of self-actualizing we become more aware of our inner nature and act in accordance with it. This means we decide for ourselves whether we like certain films, books, or ideas, regardless of others' opinions.
4. Honesty and taking responsibility for one's actions are essential elements in self- actualizing. Rather than pose and give answers that are calculated to please another or to make ourselves look good, we can look within for the answers.
5. Judgment The first four steps help us develop the capacity for "better life choices." We learn to trust our own judgment and our own inner feelings and to act accordingly.
6. Self-development Self-actualization is also a continual process of developing one's potentialities. It means using one's abilities and intelligence and "working to do well the thing that one wants to do" (The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. Great talent or intelligence is not the same as self-actualization; many gifted people fail to use their abilities fully while others, with perhaps only average talents, accomplish a great deal. Self-actualization is not a thing that someone either has or does not have. It is a never-ending process of making real one's potential. It refers to a way of continually living, working, and relating to the world rather than to a single accomplishment.
7. Peak Experiences "Peak experiences are transient moments of self-actualization" . We are more whole, more integrated, more aware of ourselves and of the world during peak moments. At such times we think, act, and feel most clearly and accurately. We are more loving and accepting of others, have less inner conflict and anxiety, and are better able to put our energies to constructive use. .
8. Lack of Ego Defenses A further step in self-actualization is to recognize our ego defenses and to be able to drop them when appropriate. To do so, we must become more aware of the ways in which we distort our images of ourselves and of the external world-through repression, projection, and other defenses.