The need for self-actualization. revealed the essence of self-actualization and similar concepts. These are all potentialities, not real final states. They must be observed in development. They are formed or suppressed by extrapsychic fa

Hello dear guests and blog subscribers. Today we will talk about what self-actualization is and what role it plays in the life of each of us.

The concept of "self-actualization"

Self-actualization has many definitions. However, if we reduce all interpretations to a common denominator, we can say that it means the desire of an individual to reveal his potential and realize himself in an industry close to her. I would like to note the fact that this process has no limitations.

Psychology has been studying the phenomenon of self-actualization for a long time. Abraham Maslow made a significant contribution to the research. In addition to him, the representative of humanistic psychology Karl Rogers and many others also worked on this topic.

Humanist psychologists have identified a number of varieties of the process of self-actualization. Next, we'll take a closer look at each of them.

1. Deep: personal growth, human development.
2. Superficial is not a desire to develop, but a desire to express yourself without any personal growth.
3. Passive: natural growth of intelligence and personality culture.
4. Active or productive. Characterized by the presence of intention. That is, a person sets a specific goal for himself, then is engaged in the development of those qualities that are necessary for its implementation.
5. Harmonious.
6. Problematic.
7. Cautious.
8. Energetic.

Very often self-actualization is taken as the main road leading to the top of human development. However, this is not at all the case. In view of the limitless possibilities of the mind, the phenomenon we are considering is limitless.

Stages

If you have a desire for development, you should decide on an action plan.

First you need to highlight your needs. Next, you should evaluate the possibilities and understand the abilities. That is, you need to take time for yourself. Take up self-knowledge,. If it is very difficult to figure out yourself on your own, try contacting specialists.

The second stage will be the search for ways of self-realization. It can be anything you want, regardless of direction. The level of training also does not matter. Here, the main thing is only your attitude to the occupation. The main thing is that the chosen business is enjoyable. For girls, I recommend reading.

The ways

A. Maslow's research

Throughout its life, from the moment of conception, the body solves many problems. At first everything happens on an unconscious level. A creature, before becoming a conscious person, seeks to satisfy needs, primarily fundamental. With the development of the body as a whole and awareness in particular, there is an increase in needs, among which A. Maslow names the 5 most common. You've probably heard about.

So, he made a hierarchy: from the simplest to the needs of the highest level:

• basic (physiological or fundamental): water, food, sleep, etc.;
• safety (the instinct of self-preservation is triggered): daily routine, housing, clothing;
• love, belonging: society of relatives, friends;
• respect for or participation in public life;
• self-actualization.

In order for us to be able to satisfy the highest and at the same time complex need, it is necessary to know how to do it. There are many techniques on how to trigger the mechanism consciously.

The most common methods of self-actualization

1. Full immersion... Collect your thoughts and let something consume you. Forget about protection, shyness. At this moment you will be filled with something very innocent, something fresh, a childish innocence will be revived. Your usual cynicism will disappear, and resilience and the desire to seem wise beyond your years will simply disappear. To achieve this state, one must be selfless. Indeed, very often we suffer from the fact that we are too shy. And we rarely do really unselfish deeds.

2. Imagine that life is a process of continuous choice... You do it every moment: move forward or take a step back. You seek to protect yourself, you seek safe cover because you are afraid to leave your comfort zone. Or vice versa - you are ready for achievements, discover something new, grow and develop. If every day you make a choice in favor of development and growth, then you are already on the path to self-actualization, which implies this choice. That is, you discard everything that interferes with your personal growth.

4. When in doubt, be honest.... Doubts are often accompanied by lies. Demand a clear answer from yourself, do not be afraid to become responsible for your choice, your decision. Only when you are completely responsible for what you have and what you don't have, you self-actualize.

5. Develop your intelligence and your capabilities... Try to maximize the potential that is within you. Self-actualization requires a lot of work to turn what you want into reality. Think about it, because each of us strives to become the best in the area in which he is really good.

6. Higher experiences are very important moments of self-actualization.... That is, these are the very outbursts of ecstasy, a feeling of complete satisfaction that cannot be received from outside. Drop all illusions, accept that there is something that is not yours, that you simply are not capable of. In this way, you will gradually reveal your potential, your true Self.

7. Essence. To understand yourself, to discover your true essence, to realize what is good for you and what is bad, and, in the end, in order to find your purpose in life, you should thoroughly delve into and understand your own psychopathology. To give answers to all these questions, you need to realize your own and overcome them. It is a difficult process and very painful, because protection shields against what is unpleasant. However, you will be happy with the result if you manage to overcome this barrier.

Areas of the self-actualization process

• social and political activity;
• hobbies and hobbies;
• a family;
• professional work.

Psychologist Otto Rank considers religion as a means of self-actualization. This is due to the fact that through the prism of faith, a person seeks an understanding of what makes him special.
Another important way of self-actualization in modern society is the introduction to cyber culture. After all, our world is a world of highly developed digital technologies. For this reason, knowledge of electronics and technology is a good way to adapt to society.

Creativity can be called a separate way of self-realization. It is used by people who have already realized some purely personal aspirations.

Obstacles

At first glance, it seems that there is nothing difficult to start with self-actualization. And now you are ready to embark on your path to gradually improve. However, things are not as easy as we would like. In the life of each of us, there are enough reasons not to start fulfilling our plans.

The following factors may hinder your ability to fully develop:

• Motivation. More precisely, its absence. If there is no reason to do something, you will not strive for a goal, no matter how important it may seem. The result of such work will be wasted effort and lack of moral satisfaction.
• Laziness. To achieve something, you need to act, make efforts. Nothing is given just like that.
• Public pressure. First of all, this applies to those states where the needs of the collective are a priority, and the manifestation of individuality is not welcomed in every possible way, up to harsh punishments. Another example: the difficulty of realizing yourself as a person when your talents are not in demand.
• Fear, insecurity, lack of self-confidence. A person can calmly live a measured life, deliberately avoiding difficulties. But will he be happy or successful ?!
• Low self-esteem and misconceptions about their abilities. For example, a person begins to be visited by such thoughts as “I will never achieve this”, “I cannot”, “this is too difficult for me”, etc.

Most of the factors that can interfere with realization are in the head, that is, in consciousness. One has only to get rid of them - and you will take away how your affairs will go up and you will begin to get what you want.

How to define a self-actualizing personality?

Let's figure out how to define a personality in the society that surrounds us, who is already in the stream of self-actualization. So, a person in the process of self-improvement has the following signs:

• Emotional openness: quickly and easily forgives the sudden breakdowns of unrestrained or overly sensitive people.
• Full control over their lives: such people cannot be influenced or pressured in any way, they make decisions on their own, do not depend on someone else's opinion.
• Continuous striving for development and perfection - prefers to receive new information from literature.
• Most often, this is a creative person with positive thinking.

If there are people in your environment who are doing what they love, they definitely belong to those who are in the process of self-actualization.

Conclusion

One of the most important postulates of self-actualization is harmony. Your true inner aspirations, material and social situation should be in balance.

Self-actualization is continuous work. As folk wisdom says, if you are hardworking, although you do not have much talent, you are able to achieve more than a talented but lazy person.

Thank you for attention! Hope you enjoyed my article. Subscribe to the blog, read new materials, and share with your friends on social networks.

The material was prepared by Yulia Gintsevich.

Self-actualization- this is the absolute disclosure of the individual's personal potential, inclinations and inclinations. It is expressed in a personal desire for the most complete identification of personal capabilities and their further education. True self-actualization depends on the presence of favorable social and historical conditions, but it cannot be set by society or culture from the outside.

Self-actualization does not contain an external goal. It comes from within the individual, expressing his positive nature. Self-actualization is considered a key concept in the humanistic concept in psychology. Its main values ​​are: personal freedom, striving for development, realization of the potential and desires of the subject.

Self-actualization of personality

The problem of personality self-actualization was most vividly presented by two leading psychologists, founders of the humanistic approach to psychological science - K. Rogers and A. Maslow. Therefore, the theory of self-actualization is rooted in the humanistic direction of psychology. It was first developed in the middle of the 20th century in the United States and became a pivotal component of humanistic psychology, which announced itself as the third sprout of psychology along with behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Humanistic psychology got its name due to the recognition of the dominant aspect of the personality as a single unique system, which is not something provided in advance, but an open opportunity for self-actualization. It is based on the belief in the likelihood of everyone flourishing if they are given the opportunity to independently choose their own destiny and give it the right direction.

The emergence of the concept of self-actualization of the personality and the identification of its main positions are associated with the name of A. Maslow. Its key point is the concept of personality formation, the doctrine of the need for ultimate creative self-realization, which leads to true mental health.

According to the study of self-actualization conducted by A. Maslow, they give different definitions, but all scientists agree on the main thing:

- the need to reconcile the individual with the inner "I" as the "core" of the personality and its expression, in other words, "ideal functioning", the development of all personal and species characteristics by the subject;

- in minimizing diseases, neuroses, which reduce the fundamental personal and general inclinations of the individual.

Some researchers believe that it is self-actualization and the subject that is the most powerful of the needs of the individual, which can overshadow even the need for food or sleep.

In accordance with the concept of K. Rogers, two directions in the psyche of the individual, provided from birth, can be distinguished. The first is a self-actualizing direction, which includes the inclinations, future personality traits. And the second direction is a mechanism for controlling the formation of a personality or an organismic tracking process. It is on these two tendencies that the formation of a unique personality is based, including the real and ideal “I”, between which a completely different relationship can be observed - from disharmony to maximum harmony.

In this concept, self-actualization and self-realization of the subject are closely related. Self-actualization of a person is presented as a process of discovering individual potential, which allows him to become a person who uses absolutely all possibilities. In the course of achieving the goals, the individual lives a fantastically eventful, exciting life, filled with work on himself and amazing results. Such a person lives, enjoying every moment of existence "here and now."

Typical features of personality self-actualization can be identified. An individual who is engaged in self-actualization and has achieved great success in it can be characterized as follows:

• does what he loves;

• does not obey other people's influence;

• strives for development;

• loves to read;

• he can be called a creative person;

• applies a positive mindset;

• self-assured;

• emotionally open;

• forgives himself for the periodic incontinence, irritability inherent in all.

Such individuals are in complete harmony with themselves, as a result of which we can confidently say that personal growth contributes to a happier life.

Unfortunately today, the problem of self-actualization is considered one of the most undeveloped aspects in psychology.

Self-actualization Maslow

Maslow is considered the founder of the humanistic approach to psychology. The American psychologist, in contrast to his fellow scientists, studied mentally healthy individuals, creative developed individuals, in other words, such subjects who have achieved self-actualization. And directly under the term self-actualization, he meant the full use by individuals of abilities, potential, inclinations.

Maslow's theory of self-actualization is a perfect, selfless, living experience with full concentration, absorption and immersion, in other words, an experience without the shyness inherent in adolescence. He also developed the characteristics of self-actualizing personalities:

- a more effective perception of reality and a more favorable relationship with it;

- acceptance of oneself, others, nature;

- spontaneity, ingenuousness, immediacy;

- focus on the goal;

- a non-hostile sense of humor;

- the need for isolation and solitude;

- independence from cultural and environment, autonomy;

- constant novelty of the assessment;

- experience of higher states;

- deeper and more perfect interpersonal relationships;

- separation of means and tasks, the concept of good from evil;

- a sense of belonging, union with others;

- self-actualizing creativity.

Maslow's theory of self-actualization is that in order to achieve the goal of avoiding disappointments in human nature, individuals must first give up their illusions about it. Maslow proposed eight principles of self-actualization.
The first principle is based on complete selfless living experience with absolute concentration and absorption. Often individuals are not aware of what is happening in themselves and around.

The second principle lies in choosing a solution towards growth in any situation. Choosing to grow is about opening yourself up to new, unforeseen experiences, in which there is a risk of being left in the unknown.

The third principle teaches individuals to actually exist, not potentially. This principle means that you need to decide on things that give pleasure and which are not, regardless of the opinions and attitudes of others.

Principle four covers acceptance of responsibility and honesty, which are moments of self-actualization.

The fifth principle is trusting your own instincts, views and following them, and not trusting what is accepted in society. Only in this case, the individual will be able to make the right choice of profession, diet, life partner, creativity, etc.

The sixth principle stands for the regular development of their inclinations, talents, inclinations, their use in order to do perfectly what they want to do.

The seventh principle covers a transitional stage in self-actualization, which Maslow called as "the peak of experience." In the moments of "peaks" people think, act and feel as clearly and clearly as possible. They love and accept others more, are more free from personal conflict and worries, and can use their energy more constructively.

Principle Eight symbolizes the next step of self-actualization, aimed at discovering the “protection” and destroying it. Maslow's concept of "protection" means projection, rationalization, repression, identification, etc., in other words, everything that is used in psychoanalytic practices.

Maslow highlighted several levels of fundamental needs, presented below. At the lowest level, he placed physiological needs, such as the need for food or intimate relationships. This is followed by the need for security. It is with the aim of satisfying this need that the subject will acquire an apartment, clothes, observe a certain regime, etc. At the third level, there is a need for belonging and love, ie. the individual acquires a family, friends. The next level covers the need for respect, i.e. the subject moves up the career ladder, is involved in politics, etc. The fifth level contains the need for self-actualization. It is the highest level in the presented model of the hierarchy of needs.

Maslow identified common features for higher needs. He argued that higher needs are later manifested. The specificity of higher needs lies in their uselessness for survival, i.e. the higher the level of the hierarchy the need is, the less it will be necessary for survival, the longer its satisfaction will be postponed.

Higher biological effectiveness depends on the level of needs being met, i.e. the higher the level, the greater the efficiency, life expectancy, fewer diseases, etc. Individuals perceive all higher needs as less urgent. After all, a person is not up to reading books when there is nothing to eat or nowhere to live. Meeting higher needs often leads to personal development, a happier life, and an enrichment of the inner world.

Only after satisfying the need for self-actualization does the subject actually become full-fledged.

The need for self-actualization

One of the internal manifestations of the desire for personal development is the need for self-actualization.

According to the concept of K. Rogers, a quality or phenomenon is inherent in human nature, which prompts him to move in the direction of progress, towards maturity, i.e. to greater adequacy of one's own self, potential and inclinations, to the integrity of the individual. Rogers was convinced that personal growth is inherent in every individual. He argued that even if the desire for self-actualization is tightly locked under layers of rusty psychological defenses, hidden behind tricky aspects that reject the very fact of its reality, then it still exists in every individual and is only waiting for the moment when favorable conditions arise to manifest itself. Rogers' theory of self-actualization is based on his belief in the innate desire to become an integral person, capable and competent as much as the potential allows.

According to Maslow, the need for self-actualization represents the need for self-development, the need for self-expression, the need for self-realization, the desire for identity. He was convinced that the process of self-actualization is a full-fledged development of the personality, which corresponds to the biological predetermination of the individual.

K. Goldstein argued that it is the abilities of the individual that determine his needs. Developing the doctrine of self-actualization, Maslow argued that the abilities of a person persistently require their use and stop making their demands only on the condition that they are fully applied.

According to Maslow's theory, the main motivating force that predetermines the behavior of an individual is the strength of the person's felt in her personal experience. The process of self-actualization is also reflected in hedonism - the enjoyment of the highest benefits inherent in human nature. He is embodied in a feeling of deep satisfaction with life, expressed in a sense of wholeness and enlightenment. Maslow called these sensations peak experiences.

The value value and intensity of experiences that are associated with the gratification of lower needs, for example, for food or sleep, has a predisposition to decrease with each subsequent action to satisfy this need. Along with this, the peak experiences experienced by the individual in the course of self-actualization are the most intense in strength, stable and have greater value for the subject, in comparison with the experiences arising from gratifying lower needs. This is the basis of Maslow's entire concept of hierarchy of needs. The main postulate of his concept can be considered the assertion that the desire for self-actualization will always prevail in the ranking of motives.

Goldstein also argued that a healthy subject can temporarily postpone the satisfaction of needs such as food, sex, in order to satisfy curiosity or other motives.

Maslow believed that in order to satisfy higher needs, the subject can endure hardships, hardships, and will make sacrifices. Often, for the sake of views and principles, an individual agrees to lead an ascetic lifestyle. At the same time, Maslow emphasized the fundamental difference between deficit and existential motivation. A subject who has not satisfied his basic needs, feeling a deficit, for example, in security or food, will perceive the world as a hostile reality, which requires him to mobilize all efforts to survive. In such a world, he gets used to being defeated, as a result of which his entire moral value system is subordinated only to the lowest needs. At the same time, the self-actualizing individual no longer cares about the problems of survival, he is striving for development and is governed by internal potencies that were originally laid down in him by nature and require their realization and development.

According to Maslow, self-actualization of a person means moving upward from the need to eliminate the deficit. He emphasized that a person's self-actualization cannot be regarded as a state of nirvana, in which there are no problems at all. On the contrary, in the process of self-actualization, a person is faced with real problems of being, which can bring disappointment and pain. Going beyond the boundaries of one's own capabilities in the process of creative being, a self-actualizing individual has to enter into a struggle with himself in order to force himself to make efforts for the next step in his own being.

Along with this, Maslow was convinced that self-actualization cannot be the ultimate end in itself. He said that the process of self-actualization is strenuous and painstaking work, leading to a gradual increase in achievements. Maslow also pointed to the possibility of "pseudo-development" as a result of evading unmet need. This happens when a person convinces himself that the unsatisfied higher need for self-actualization is actually satisfied or does not exist at all. However, this need is necessarily present as an unconscious force that calls on the individual to develop his own potential, to fulfill his life's destiny, becoming himself.

Self-actualization as a goal of a person will simultaneously be an intermediate and final goal. Maslow was convinced that self-actualization does not represent precisely the final state, it is directly the very process of translating the individual's inherent potential into reality.

Development of self-actualization

Today, in the era of rapid social transformations, forcing a person to invariably transform their own established and established life relationships, to rebuild themselves, the problem of applying and developing personal potential arises in a more acute and qualitatively new way. Therefore, the question of the importance of creating conditions for personal self-actualization, the need for incentives for personal growth and the development of the creative potential of those individuals in the field of professional and work activities of which includes training, upbringing and assistance, is of particular relevance.

For individuals whose profession is closely related to communicative interaction with people, a high degree of personal maturity, mental health and a degree of self-actualization are not only professionally significant characteristics, but also key factors that determine work efficiency.

Self-actualization is a mental neoplasm that bears a direct connection with the formation of the highest possible abilities, the need to achieve success, overcome obstacles and aspire to unknown heights of growth, both personal and professional.

The development of self-actualization is an eternal value for any modern subject. Contributing to the process of mastering the external elements of a positive attitude towards the implementation of activities, as a result of which a positive attitude towards one's own personality is formed, the perception of oneself as a subject of such activity, self-actualization plays the role of a driving factor in the development of personality. It promotes the maximum manifestation of personal potential, the disclosure of the most secret possibilities of the individual, and leads to self-organization and personal. Also, self-actualization is a key factor in the formation of internal integrity, the inseparability of all aspects of the personality. So, for example, self-actualization determines the purposeful nature of the subject's activity, gives promises for further professional and personal growth, contributes to the interactive processes of personal formation at the same time, being such a moment organizing the personality that leads to the natural state of self-organization.

A necessary condition and foundation for the development of self-actualization will be the harmony of the psychological organization of the personality. The harmony of the psychological organization of personal self-actualization is determined by the formation of the spheres of the individual's life (behavioral, intellectual and emotionality), the balanced development of these spheres and their integration.

from lat. real, real) is one of the conceptual concepts of humanistic psychology. According to A. Maslow's views, S. is the desire to become more than you are; it is a need for self-improvement, for realizing one's potential. This path is difficult, it is associated with the experience of fear of the unknown and responsibility, but it is also the path to a full-fledged, internally rich life. A person who has reached the C level is not burdened with envy, anger, cynicism, bad taste, he is not prone to depression and pessimism, selfishness, etc. The concept of "self-actualization" was proposed by the psychotherapist K. Goldstein in the book "Organism. The Holistic Approach ”(1939). The author believed that any organism, and especially a human one, seeks to actualize those possibilities that are inherent in it by nature. Goldstein called the process of identifying these possibilities self-actualization, considering it as the main motive and goal of human life.

The concept of "S." in the center of the concept of one of the popular psychologists of the XX century - K. Rogers (1902-1987). For him, S. is a force that forces a person to develop at various levels, determining both his mastery of motor skills and higher creative ups. A person, Rogers believes, has an innate tendency to live, grow, develop. All needs are subordinated to this tendency - they must be satisfied for the purpose of positive development. The child must know that he is loved, no matter what he does, then the need for a positive attitude and self-attitude will not be in conflict with the need for self-actualization. Rigidity, antisociality, immaturity are the result of fear and psychological defense. The task of a psychologist is to help a person discover his positive tendencies, which are present in everyone at deep levels, to awaken, support the desire for the fullest possible identification and development of his personal capabilities. V. Frankl believed that the realization of oneself as a life goal, in fact, is extremely egocentric. It is necessary to turn to other, semantic categories of being, and then self-actualization will be only a means of achieving special “semantic”, “transpersonal” goals of being.

Since the man began to be aware of himself, he began to ask questions about the structure of the world around him and about his place in nature and among other people. Many people are still worried about the problem of the purpose of the species of homo sapiens on Earth, the search for the meaning of life. Philosophers, psychologists, theologians and just people who are not indifferent to everything that happens to them and around them are looking for answers to the "eternal questions".

Depending on the historical era, religious views, scientific achievements, the human phenomenon was explained in different ways, from the idea of ​​people as two-legged animals without feathers to the recognition of the divine essence of man. One of the scientific theories that allows you to find answers to such complex questions is the theory of personality self-actualization ( authors A. Maslow, K. Rogers and others).

Self-actualization concept

Self-actualization means the fulfillment by a person of his task, because we all come into this world for a reason, which means - the disclosure of abilities, talents, the realization of what is inherent in each of us by nature. Self-actualization of a person is a process and a way to achieve goals that are meaningful for oneself.

In order to better understand what self-actualization is, it makes sense to consider the pyramid of needs A. Maslow... The scientist believed that all people, without exception, have approximately the following needs:

• Physiological (food, drink, sleep)... Other living beings have the same needs. Without enough food, water and sleep, the body dies;
• In the safety of life... External factors can also interfere with survival: excessive cold and heat, natural elements, lack of a roof over his head, attack by a maniac, etc. If a person is not in danger, then he feels calm and self-confident;
• In love. Having satisfied the above needs, a person will probably remain alive, but he will hardly feel happy. We all need love, support of loved ones, friendship;
• In respect and recognition. Whatever a person does, it is important for him to feel successful. It’s really nice when a work gets high marks, whether it’s a masterpiece of world art or just a skillfully cooked borscht;
• In knowledge and creativity. This need is most pronounced in children who ask a lot of questions and try to experiment with everything that comes their way. Unfortunately, with age, the desire to learn and create for most people becomes less relevant;
• Aesthetic. Beauty is important to people because it is harmonious, and harmony creates a sense of stability and order. No wonder F.M. Dostoevsky wrote that "beauty will save the world";
• Spiritual. The satisfaction of the needs of this level is self-actualization. The personality is self-actualized in self-knowledge, striving to improve oneself, to receive as much knowledge about the world as possible, to develop one's abilities.

It is believed that in order for the need for self-actualization to arise, it is necessary to satisfy all of the above needs. However, life is complex and diverse, so in reality everything is very difficult. Suffice it to recall the great composer V.A. Mozart, who wrote down the notes of his ingenious works on a piece of paper with a stub of a pencil and did not always have money for bread. Yes, and there were problems with recognition during the life of a genius. At the same time, many more than wealthy people remain at the level of satisfaction of the needs indicated at the beginning of the list, or even degrade. An important role in the process of a person's formation is played by his desire for self-actualization, and this, in turn, depends on the goals, motives, desires, attitudes and characteristics of the upbringing of the individual.

Self-actualization process

How does self-actualization begin? The answer is obvious: from knowing yourself, from identifying your capabilities, abilities and needs. Here you may need the help of a specialist, because it is extremely difficult to impartially assess yourself. An experienced psychologist will help you deal with complexes, imaginary or obvious problems and outline ways for self-improvement. If, for any reason, you are uncomfortable in an individual lesson, then you can sign up for a personal growth training.

The next stage is the search for ways for self-realization, and there can be countless of them: a favorite business, a hobby, household and family relationships, travel, weeding cucumbers at a summer cottage, etc. The main thing is that a person understands that the chosen occupation is his. In this case, the feeling of the fullness of being will not be long in coming. On the contrary, the need to constantly do something that does not bring satisfaction, contributes to dissatisfaction with oneself and others. As a result, stress, neuroses and even serious illnesses appear. Simply put, a person should be who he is and walk his path of life. Then everything will be fine.

With self-actualization, choice is inevitable. You have to choose everything and always (a dress in a store, a school for a child, a place of work or rest, etc.). However, in the opinion of himself A. Maslow, the main choice of a person is between the desire for self-actualization and conscious avoidance of it. The fact is that self-improvement, engaging in creative activities involves getting out of the so-called comfort zone, breaking stereotypes, overcoming difficulties, changing views on the understandable and familiar, as a result of which it becomes difficult to remain calm and feel protected. At the same time, if a person nevertheless takes the path of self-actualization, then pleasant bonuses will be:

• self confidence;
• feeling of victory, including over oneself;
• increase;
• the formation of new skills and abilities.

It is fundamentally important that a person makes the choice himself, and not under pressure from outside. It is necessary to learn this from childhood, therefore an important task of parents and teachers is to give the child the opportunity to think and make decisions independently. In addition, the baby should not satisfy parental ambitions; in the process of upbringing and development, it is necessary to proceed from the interests and needs of the growing person himself.

The ability to make choices is closely related to the need to trust yourself and take responsibility for the consequences of your actions. Actually, responsibility is the main indicator of growing up. When it comes to choosing a profession, a life partner, or just a way to spend free time, then the choices made may not be approved by others. However, no one knows what a person needs, better than himself. The main thing is that the consequences of the choice do not contradict legal and moral norms.

Finally, for self-actualization, it is important to work tirelessly. A less talented but hardworking person will achieve more than a gifted lazy person. Constant work on yourself will certainly lead to success.

What prevents self-actualization

It would seem that the problem of self-actualization is solved quite easily: choose your own path and act. It's actually not that simple. Full disclosure of their capabilities may be hindered by:

• Own laziness. Development, moving forward is the application of efforts, overcoming oneself. A rolling stone gathers no moss; (h read about)
• Self-doubt, complexes, fears. No one is immune from failure, however, conscious avoidance of difficulties, perhaps, will make life more peaceful, but will never lead to success; ( read about)
• Social pressure. In some cultures (this is especially typical for countries with a totalitarian regime), not the individual, but the collective is put in the first place. A person is a cog in the state system, and any manifestations of individuality are sometimes suppressed very harshly. It is also difficult to realize oneself if the existing skills are not in demand and are not appreciated by others (for example, in a peasant family of the century before last, a child's ability to draw or masterfully play a musical instrument could be perceived by parents as a whim that distracts from the main occupation - agriculture);
• Low self-esteem, misconceptions about their abilities ("I will never achieve this," "This is beyond my power," etc.); ( read about)
• Lack of proper motivation. If it is not clear why certain actions are being taken, then achieving the goal is almost impossible. In any case, there will definitely not be moral satisfaction from the efforts made.

Self-actualization problem

Most psychologists view self-actualization as purely a blessing. Is it bad if a person is looking for himself, trying to find an application for his abilities? However, an overly self-centered person becomes selfish, does not take into account the needs of other people, is in no hurry to understand, help, support loved ones. In addition, in itself, the ascent of any heights does not guarantee well-being. Each person is an individual. It is extremely important for someone to sit in the manager's chair, while someone will be content with the modest role of an ordinary employee or housewife and feel happy (although these roles are also a kind of self-actualization).

True perfection is an ideal rather than a reality. In the opinion of himself A. Maslow, people who have achieved self-actualization make up only 1% of all humanity, and even such "superpersons" are not devoid of shortcomings and are not free from problems. Therefore, in the process of self-actualization, the main thing is not so much striving for the ideal as achieving real goals, the ability to build relationships with other people, to strive for harmony with oneself and the world around us. If a person is self-sufficient and lives a full life, ready to take responsibility for his actions, then we can speak of him as an accomplished personality.

When talking about personality development, the so-called self-actualization, so today we will talk about self-actualization of personality... In a nutshell, self-actualization is the completeness of disclosure and implementation by a person of his personal uniqueness, the realization of what is in him, as in a person. But that's just a nutshell.

Often, personality development is understood as simply the development of certain skills and abilities, the acquisition of knowledge, the achievement of certain goals ... letters or human she still won't - and therefore personal development it is difficult to name it. So, self-actualization is different :)

A personality with a capital letter is mature, developed, realized, self-actualizing personality... What is this mysterious self-actualization and how to become a self-actualizing person? What should be done, what skills / traits / qualities to develop? Let's not reinvent the wheel. Self-actualization- the concept of humanistic psychology, usually associated with the name of Abraham Maslow. So let's turn to him, especially since I mentioned him. This scientist - a psychologist took it upon himself to investigate what distinguishes healthy, realized people from all others - to varying degrees of sickness and who have not reached in their development the disclosure of the potential inherent in each person.

According to Maslow, self-actualizing people are only 0.5-1% of the total mass. Why so little? Maybe these are just some special people, their path is not suitable for everyone, and even more so this is not something that everyone should strive for, as, for example, not everyone is given to be musicians? The choice, of course, is for everyone, but the psychologist convincingly proves that a person who has refused to realize his real human potential is not a healthy and not a full-fledged person. Unlike the ability for music, everyone has the ability and need for self-actualization, and it requires its own satisfaction. But why is it so rarely realized then?

Needs and self-actualization of the individual

Yes, the key word is need... We are accustomed to thinking in terms of needs, everyone has also heard about Maslow's pyramid of needs, and the difference between self-actualization and all other activities lies precisely in the plane of needs. All our activities are conditioned by needs, I think no one will argue with this. Needs declare themselves in desires (remember the list) and we begin to stir to satisfy them.

But the needs are different. It is clear that we have them - a carriage and a small cart: you need to eat, and have a roof over your head, and be socially realized, and ... But here we are talking about something else - about the fact that need for self-actualization is not just at the top of the pyramid, but fundamentally different from all other needs.

Abraham Maslow proved that the need for self-actualization, or for growth and development, is as innate as everyone else, but, like all higher things, it is "more intelligent" than the lower ones - that is, it declares itself less brazenly. This need is clearly seen in young children who strive specifically for development. But in an adult, the need for development is usually very weakly expressed - it is overshadowed by completely different, lower needs, whose voice sounds louder.

Some of these lower needs are quite legitimate - these are basic needs: in food, safety, love, belonging, respect. All this is necessary for us in life, and it is precisely the satisfaction of these needs that we are usually busy with. But, recognizing the unconditional need to satisfy them, Maslow draws a clear line between basic needs and the need for self-actualization or development.

In addition to natural basic ones, we may have unnatural, “sick” needs. For example, various addictions or so-called "passions": dependence on alcohol or a computer, a passion for collecting sexual partners or for manipulating others ... If a person considers the realization of these inclinations to be self-realization, then he will not just not develop, but will embark on the path of degradation. In relation to the self-actualization of the personality, the sick needs do not differ much from the basic ones.

What unites them? And unite them selfishly - consumer motives... Desires dictated by egoistic motives contribute not to self-actualization, but to the development of egocentrism. Exactly at motives and that is the difference between the need for self-actualization and all the others. In the first case, trying to satisfy basic or sick needs, we strive to get rid of the discomfort that their dissatisfaction causes us - this is lack motive, and in the second - we proceed from ourselves, from excess... The need for self-actualization is not behind any thirst, scarcity, necessity - even calling it a “need” is not very correct. Striving for growth and development is valuable in itself and is not conditioned by anything.

To draw a border, one might say that everything behind fear and self-interest, in other words, needs dictated by safety or consumption, does not belong to self-actualization... Unfortunately, this is what we usually live by - our desires are due to fear and self-interest. Accordingly, their implementation has nothing to do with self-actualization. Such needs or desires can be classified as “having”. The same as for self-actualization or personality development, refers to the category of "to be".

Another difference between self-actualization and other needs is that the motives for self-actualization are unique, individual, and the rest of the needs are general, the same for many.

What does it mean to be? Signs of self-actualization

• To be Is to know something, because interesting- from a healthy desire for knowledge, and not because healthy or necessary... For example, when it comes to books, some say that they are interested in reading only what benefits them, helping to solve their problems. Unfortunately, they are not interested in anything except their own problems ...
• To be- to create because you want to, and not for the sake of money or to increase a sense of self-worth, and not even for the sake of personal growth. The creative process itself is wonderful and amazing!
• To be- is to realize your talents and abilities and enjoy it. Yes, yes, self-realization is actually the development and realization of talents and abilities, and not at all the fulfillment of desires. We often don’t even know about our talents - we don’t have time for them ... Although the development of abilities in itself, as is done with poor children, sending them to 5 sections at the same time, is not enough - this is still meaning should be for the person himself.
• Of course, to be unrealistic without, and the meaning must certainly go beyond personal interests. To do this, you will have to solve metaphysical questions, but there is no other way - meaningless being is impossible ...
• To be- it is to love unconditionally and freely, and not to satisfy your need for love. rejoices that there is a loved one in the world, loves him for his own sake, contemplates and protects another. In contrast to this, the need for love worries about reciprocity, revels in its feelings about a loved one, cares about good relations with him - for himself, her comfort, and often she is not interested in her beloved.
• To be- it is to enjoy life, and not to "pull the strap" of everyday life or endlessly achieve something. It .
• To be- it is to perceive and accept the world as it is, and not in relation to oneself, through oneself, for oneself ...

You have already understood that the ability to be and is a sign of personality self-actualization. The last point is key and requires clarification. An ordinary person sees and evaluates everything that happens exclusively through the prism of his “I”: “what will it give me or what it threatens”. A self-actualizing person, being free from the dictates of this prism, is able to see reality more adequately.

Remember the fairy tale about the fool who was beaten all the time, because at the funeral he shouted "can't bear to wear", and cried at the wedding? The reason for his inadequacy was that he was unable to think about others, about the situation - if he did this, he would easily understand how to behave. And his stupidity was that, trying to avoid the beatings, he wanted to learn "the right way", instead of detaching himself from himself and understanding the situation.

An ordinary person often differs from this fool only by the fact that over the years he has learned well where "it is necessary" and learned to avoid "beatings", and in an unfamiliar situation he is lost or acts inadequately. A self-actualizing person does not need "the right way." He behaves spontaneously - based on his real reaction to the situation, which he perceives directly. This is such a paradox - on the one hand, it comes out of myself, and on the other hand, he perceives the world as such, without being fixated on himself. And an ordinary person proceeds from his fears and self-interest, and not from himself, and perceives the world only in relation to himself (more precisely, to his fears and self-interest). As usual, there is nowhere without dialectics :)

How to become a self-actualizing person?

How to achieve self-actualization of the personality? It is impossible to teach this, because everyone discovers the art of being in himself. No wonder one of the roots of the word self-actualization like words self-realization — itself... You can teach a monkey to draw the sun, but you cannot teach how to create. You can give a scheme for satisfying basic needs, but there are no schemes in self-actualization - because the personality is unique. You can force or oblige a person to do something, but only he himself can make a free decision and take responsibility for it.

Responsibility is undoubtedly a necessary condition for self-actualization. from just individual what distinguishes just originality and independence, presence, actions conditioned by one's own considerations, etc. In general, for this it is necessary to learn to "walk with your feet" yourself - which no one can teach. And there can be no examples here - in order to have his opinion, as someone else, will have to work out it on one's own, and not repeat after it by someone.

The only thing that can be advised here is at least to turn your search in this direction, and not to indulge yourself with the illusion that the fulfillment of desires is self-realization, and the achievement of goals is personal growth, because both our desires and goals, as a rule, are conditioned deficit needs (from the word "deficit" - lack). But in each of us there are embryos and even sprouts of art. to be... When we were children, we all knew how to do this, until our parents began to develop us as they saw fit, and did not explain to us “how it should be,” cutting off our immediate reactions.

Self-actualization- a dynamic process, it is not a state that needs to be achieved and then stay in it, but rather a direction of movement, priorities that structure life. The rest of the needs will not go anywhere - they also need to be satisfied, but in a self-actualizing personality they cease to be the main content of life, fading into the background, development is more important for her.

If a person ignores his need for development, it will poison his life, because, although her voice is quiet, he has it and makes itself felt in a feeling of emptiness, waking sleep, depression, dissatisfaction with life and a painful search for something .., even physical illness can arise on this basis. But these scarecrows, of course, are not a basis for self-actualization :) The only reason is our desire to realize ourselves in life as a Human, to the fullest extent of our potential.

This is how I found the answer to the question of how where to develop personality?. In addition to what has been said, one of these days I will publish the signs of a self-actualizing personality according to A. Maslow with explanations. In my opinion, under development personality can only be understood by the path of self-actualization... Everything else is monkey training, nothing more. And what do you think? I am waiting for your questions and additions about the self-actualization of the personality, and see you soon!

© Nadezhda Dyachenko