Self-Actualization and Self-Discovery

When someone is brought into this world, they have no sense of who they are. When a baby is born, that baby knows nothing except for the fact that they are there and they are surrounded by people who love and care for them. In the womb, each and every individual is just a bundle of physical creation, but the very second we are born it is our job to find out who we are. Life is described by some to be an epic journey of self-discovery and actualization, and that’s exactly what it is. Self-actualization is the term used to describe how individuals go their whole lives trying to reach their full potential. Now, what does this mean to an individual? Being self-actualized means that an individual knows who they are and what they want and what they were made for, and generally this notion is thought to make for a happier, more fulfilled person in the long run. It takes many ups, downs, trials, and tribulations for one to become self-actualized, but once they reach that point, they are considered to have grasped at the holy grail of life itself.

In 1943, Abraham Maslow created the famous Hierarchy of Needs in which he assembled a pyramid of the basic needs of humans, and at the very top of the pyramid he added a self-actualization category. Being at the very top of the pyramid, this need is usually swept under the rug. For one, every other need must be met first (basic needs, safety needs, social needs, and esteem needs) and for another, it is very difficult to achieve this kind of personal awareness. It is said that it is an individual’s goal to reach the self-actualization section of the hierarchy, but usually getting there is disrupted because it is difficult to fully meet every other need before it. Maslow said that most people ar...

... middle of paper ...

...ing about themselves and life in general.

To be an upstanding individual, one has to go through a process of self-discovery, but that can only happen if other needs are met. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs establishes what every human needs to survive, and one of those needs is self-actualization. Some say that this category of the hierarchy is not necessary for life, but it is crucial if one wants to live to their full potential. Becoming self-actualized is a journey that takes many people their entire lives, and some don’t even get there despite their efforts. Self-actualized people are able to see their strengths and weaknesses more clearly, and are able to build upon their strengths and accept their weaknesses better than others and that is a skill that takes a long time to master.

Works Cited

McLeod. "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Simply Psychology. (2007).