{"id":18668,"date":"2023-08-18T17:52:20","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T17:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/?p=18668"},"modified":"2023-08-25T11:32:59","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T11:32:59","slug":"what-is-self-actualisation-and-how-to-become-self-actualised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/what-is-self-actualisation-and-how-to-become-self-actualised\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Self-Actualisation and How to Become Self-Actualised"},"content":{"rendered":"

A key goal in life is, or should be, to become self-actualised. This is a term used by renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow when describing his theory of human motivation and the Hierarchy of Needs<\/a>.<\/h3>\n
\"Maslow's
Image Credit: EucalyptusTreeHugger<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maslow defined self-actualisation as the:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c\u2026ongoing actualisation of potentials, capacities and talents, as fulfilment of mission (or call, fate, destiny, or vocation), as a fuller knowledge of, and acceptance of, the persons intrinsic nature, as an unceasing trend toward unity, integration of synergy within the person)\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

~ Abraham Maslow: Toward A Psychology Of Being, p.29, Kindle Loc 512, (1962)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Moreover, Maslow believed that striving towards an actualised state of being is a necessary requirement for growth, fulfilment and satisfaction. He hypothesised that our outlook on life, and subsequently, our state of mind is correlated with whether our needs and drives are met.<\/p>\n

Our basic needs relate to physical survival;\u00a0 <\/span>food, water, shelter and safety. These need to be met first. Then we strive to achieve social connection and self-esteem. Once all of these goals are met, we move on to seeking self-actualization\u2014or achieving our full potential.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPreserving oneself and reaching out for fulfilment, for excitement and for enlargement. I have tried to express this as a contrast between living fully and preparing to live fully, between growing up and being grown\u201d.<\/p>\n

~ Abraham Maslow: Toward A Psychology Of Being, p.35 Kindle Loc 633, (1962)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Later, an additional need was added\u2014contributing something purposeful that is greater than ourselves. This is also referred to as “Beyond Self-Actualization,” “Transcendence,” or \u201cSelfless Actualization\u201d (Greene, & Burke, 2007<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Maslow suggested that basic needs are “deficit needs\u201d or D-Love which stands in opposition to what he labelled B-Love \u2014 a process of being. It is in the latter dynamic that we are self-actualised or moving towards self-actualising.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To give you some idea, Maslow defined B-love as feeling love for another person without needing anything in return, a selfless love that augurs unselfish acts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When we behave from a base of D-Love, on the other hand, a deficiency exists which creates a love need; affection, to be acknowledged and appreciated. This is a state of being associated with the unhealthy traits of the Caretaker which I described in the Caretaker Part Two | Archetypes Explained series on YouTube.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<<<<Watch by clicking in the video below>>>>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n