Self-actualization Needs: What Are They, According To Maslow?
All or almost all of us want to feel good, achieve our goals and perceive a sense of progression towards the future. We want to be ourselves, faithful to our nature and at the same time strive to achieve our ideal. This will does not arise from nothing nor is it exclusive to a few, but is part of the main and most evolved human needs: self-actualization needs.
This concept, which is especially known from Maslow’s theory despite having been worked on both previously and subsequently by different authors, is especially relevant in our society and in seeking personal and social well-being. And it is about him that we are going to talk throughout this article.
To talk about self-actualization needs, it may be appropriate to first mention Maslow’s theory of human needs, probably the best-known theory that includes them (although the idea of self-actualization was first used by Goldstein and there were similar concepts in theories such as Jung or Erickson).
According to Maslow’s theory, which arises from his research regarding the factors that allow personal development and well-being (which in turn emerged as a reaction against the pessimism of the psychology of the moment, focused on the pathological), the being human finds his behavior motivated by the presence of a series of needs established around the tendency to growth and the achievement of objectives which can be structured in the form of a pyramid depending on how necessary they are for well-being and even survival.
These needs are arranged hierarchically and in order to focus on satisfying the most superior ones, it is necessary that the previous ones are covered for the most part, otherwise it would be the uncovered one that we would need to satisfy first.
From the base to the top: the five great types of needs
The base of this pyramid is found in the basic or physiological needs, which have biological origin and the achievement of which allows our survival. This mainly includes the need for food and water, as well as breathing and sleeping.
Once these are satisfied, it is possible to focus on a second level, where security needs are found. In this sense, human beings need to find a safe and protected refuge, in addition to the means to remain stable and with minimum conditions. Thus, these needs would include home, close/family environment and employment).
The third level would include emotional and affiliation needs, since we need to be part of the environment and feel included and loved. It is about the need for socio-emotional connection with those who matter to us, including family, friends or partners, as well as being part of a belonging group.
A fourth level refers to the needs for esteem and recognition, which tell us about social recognition and the maintenance of self-esteem: it is about the need to feel respected and recognized or do it ourselves.
Finally, At the top of the pyramid of the hierarchy of human needs are the needs for self-actualization which we will focus on below.
What do we call self-actualization needs?
We give the name self-actualization needs to the set of needs focused on one’s own development, growing and developing in such a way that the potential of the human being is reached to the maximum possible, both one’s own and that of others. At this level there are elements such as the development of morality, orientation towards others and the pursuit of ideals, in addition to exploiting one’s own faculties and potentialities. It is the search for the maximum possible development, to overcome the barriers of one’s own possibilities and to transcend, while at the same time living the here and now in its maximum plenitude.
It is also possible to understand self-actualization needs as the will and pursuit of the ability to give meaning to the life we have or as the search for the completeness of the course of our life, the achievement of our vital goals and the struggle to achieve them.
It is the highest type of needs, the peak of the pyramid of human needs, and represents the maximum exponent of the search for happiness through one’s own personal evolution and connection with the environment and one’s own being. The need for self-actualization involves growth and the search for life goals or objectives, and ultimately is often associated with the search for one’s own identity and meaning in life.
The need for self-realization is universal, and although it is at the culmination of human needs, it is ultimately what structures the development of the others. Despite this, according to Maslow It is difficult to focus on this type of needs if you do not have the previous and most basic needs covered: If, for example, we need to look for food and shelter to survive, we will hardly be able to think about how to feel fulfilled.
What do self-actualized people usually have in common?
Although finding yourself fully self-actualized is complex (in fact Maslow rather indicated the existence of a need for self-actualization or continuous improvement when considering that few people reached the ideal of self-realization), both this author and others consider that self-actualized subjects have a series of common characteristics.
Firstly, those who feel self-actualized tend to have an adequate vision and perception of the world, being able to accept yourself and the world around you as they are. This is carried out independently of sociocultural influences or the opinions of others.
Self-realization entails the assumption of freedom with oneself, with self-actualized people being capable of being as they are and manifesting naturalness and spontaneity. They do not tend to fall into stereotypes, and they tend to worry more about solving problems than having them.
Their personal relationships tend to be deep, although they tend to be selective about them. They need intimacy with a few people, although they also recognize the need to distance themselves and maintain a certain level of privacy. Even so, they have a high sense of community and identification with humanity.
They focus on ideals and are consistent with their values and ideals, in addition to being able to focus and solve the real problems they have. Feeling self-actualized usually leads these people to feel good, in a state of emotional elevation and even sometimes to flow and mystical experiences.
It especially stands out that self-actualized people tend to manifest high levels of creativity, and be non-conformist with what does not seem right to them (despite being able to see that their option is not the only valid one). They also have ethical certainty and usually act in accordance with their convictions, in addition to acting with a democratic tendency and with the ability to appreciate others. Of course, feeling self-actualized does not mean that we do not have defects or imperfections, just like everyone else.
