How Important Is Self-actualization?

Self-actualization is a word that almost everyone has heard, many have understood but only a few reached to this level. Life gives people many opportunities for self-actualization. Upon this, Gabriel Garcia Márquez said

Human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.

You might have heard people around you saying this word, or read about it in your schools but what? You didn’t understand it? No worries. After reading this blog, I guarantee you’ll definitely be clear about self-actualization. So let’s just jump into it.

What is self-actualization?

For different people, the meaning of self-actualization is different. The famous definition of self-actualization was presented by Dr. Abraham Maslow. He said,

A musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a peot must write if he is at peace with hinself. What a man can be, he must be.

This is the need we may call self-actualization. It refers to man’s desire for fulfillment, to become everything that one is capable of becoming. Similarly, according to Kim Egel, self-actualization is the process that brings out the best version of you. So, in simpler words, it is a process of realizing one’s true potential and capabilities and spending a life according to them.

Why is self-actualization required?

Self-actualization is a concept put forward by Dr. Abraham Maslow in his famous “The hierarchy of needs”. According to it, there are three types of needs;

• Basic needs
• Psychological needs
• Self-fulfillment needs

Self-actualization falls under the third need. Many people in this temporary world have gone without realizing their actual potential. Self-actualization basically helps people to understand their real potential. It makes you realize the purpose of your life. People who have reached this level are more prepared to perceive reality and to bear the uncertainty. In short, self-actualization is an integral part of self-development.

5 Characteristics of a self-actualized person

A self-actualized person does not see any limits in his way to reaching his destiny. He possesses some characteristics that distinguish him from others. Some of the characteristics are:

1. Acceptance

Acceptance is the key characteristic of self-actualized people. They accept themselves and others in the way they are. Like many ordinary people, they don’t waste their energy and time on complaining about the things they cannot change. Rather, they accept the situations and try to focus on bigger goals. This is the real power that makes them achieve milestones.

2. Strong sense of realism

A self-actualized person has a strong sense of realism. No matter how bitter the reality is, he knows how to accept and live with it. For them, logic and rationality are the standards. They evaluate everything in life logically and rationally. This helps them recognize fakeness, dishonesties, and inconsistencies.

3. Present is everything

For a self-actualized person, the time to do something great is now. They focus on the present and try their best to take maximum advantage of it. Such people do not leave their work for tomorrow or the future. They practice the proverb “a stitch on time saves nine”. In short, they are well aware of the power of now.

4. People’s opinions are not important

Ordinary people think about “What people will say?” A self-actualized person does not care about people’s opinions. He likes his own company. His only objective is to achieve his goal no matter what society says. He is free from all these thoughts. He enjoys his self-development.

5. Problem solvers

Such people are excellent problem-solvers. They take them as an opportunity and try to find an effective solution. The important thing is that they love to create ease for others. Their purpose is to impact the world and they use their energy for this purpose. It gives them eternal peace and satisfaction.

Concluding remarks

Self-actualization is realizing one’s potential. It is important for one’s self-growth and development. Such people possess characteristics that leave an impact on the world. For them, eternal peace and satisfaction are everything.

You can also read: 5 Habits of Highly Effective people