self actualization
Self actualization is defined as: realization of one’s full potential. Being your unique self- as the Army used to say- Be all that you can be.
Gowan synthesized the best research on consciousness and development toward
self-actualization, which Maslow defined as the manifesting of one’s potential
capabilities. However, it is more thoroughly described as a process/goal with
operations on three distinct levels: 1). the creative; 2). the psychedelic, and 3). the illuminative. Those in whom this process is stabilized, rather than merely emergent, are termed self-actualized. In the perennial philosophy this process is
known as Self-Realization, a living connection with the creative inspiration of the
higher Self, which Plato called the Daemon or genius.
More recently these creative and transpersonal qualities have been compared on a
par with I.Q. as E.Q. (Emotional Quotient) and S.Q. (Spiritual Quotient).
Gowan emphasized that when the opposites of cognitive and emotional development keep pace with one another, a more balanced individual emerges. This balance is reflected in both inner and outer life.
http://www.csun.edu/edpsy/Gowan/northp.html
What exactly is self-actualization? Located at the peak of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy, he described this high-level need in the following way:
“What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization…It refers to the desire for self-fulfillment, namely, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming.”
We meet physiolgical needs: breathing, food, sex, sleep, excretion. Then, safety needs: employment, security, property, health. Then, love and belonging needs: friendship, family, sexual intimacy. Then, esteem needs: self esteem, confidence, achievements, respect. Finally, when all of these are met, we can be who we were always meant to be through self actualization needs: morale, creativity, openness- our unique one of a kind selves.
What does it look like? Do you know anyone who is? Is it you?
The White Stripes: Effect and Cause
I guess you have to have a problem if you want to invent a contraption- First you cause a train wreck, then they put me in traction first came an action and then a reaction-But you can’t switch em’ round for your own satisfaction –Well, you burnt my house down then got mad at my reaction-Well, in every complicated situation of a human relation-Makin’ sense of it all takes a whole lot of concentration-Well you can’t blame a baby for her pregnant ma-And if there’s one of these unavoidable laws-It’s that you just can’t take the effect and make it the cause-Well, you can’t take the effect and make it the cause-I didn’t rob a bank because you made up the law-Blame me for robbing Peter, but don’t you blame Paul-Can’t take the effect and make it the cause-I ain’t the reason that you gave me no reason to return your call-You built a house of cards and got shocked when you saw them fall-Well I ain’t saying I’m innocent, in fact, the reverse-But if your headed to the grave you don’t blame the hearse-You’re like a little girl yelling at her brother ’cause you lost his ball-You keep blaming me for what you did, but that ain’t all-The way you clean up a wreck is enough to give one pause-Well, you seem to forget just how this all started-I’m reacting to you because you left me broken hearted-See, you can’t just take the effect and make it the cause-Well, you can’t take the effect and make it the cause–I didn’t rob a bank because you made up the law-Blame me for robbing Peter, but don’t you blame Paul-Can’t take the effect and make it the cause ( Song by Jack White)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzWckYfZhbA
Jack White describes the meaning behind his song:
A lot of times people start with the reaction when they talk about a situation and they forget how it started. I wrote a song about that called ‘Effect and Cause’ in the White Stripes, about rewinding the tape and finding what the root of a situation is between two people. That’s interesting to me.
Someone just asked me if I’m ever going to make one, and I said, “Of course I’m gonna make one one day.” I mean, I never really plan that far ahead. I never really planned to make another record so soon. My calendar is always open. Everything I do is something that just got decided a week before.
White’s take on the music industry as an example of “the rise of “post-materialist” values.”
It’s pretty well-known that our economy—and society—is transforming from one where wealth and prosperity came from industrial products and material goods to a system where new ideas, human creativity, and experiences play a greater and greater role. As societies become more educated and basic needs are fulfilled, the attention of their populations shift to favor experiences and self-actualization over physical goods and even luxury items. This shift can be seen in everything from the excitement around the sleek design and user experience of the Apple iPad to the rise in sales of organic, high-quality foods. http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/07/jack-white-and-the-pro-real-experience-economy/59896/
Maslow described the characteristics of the Self-Actualized Person as follows:
Are realistically oriented
Accept other people for what they are
Are spontaneous in thinking, emotions, and behavior
Are problem-centered rather than self-centered
Need privacy
Are autonomous, independent, and able to remain true to themselves in the face of rejection or unpopularity
Have a continuous freshness of appreciation
Have mystic or oceanic experiences although not necessarily religious
Identify with mankind
Have deep meaningful relationships with a few people
Have a democratic structure and judge people as individuals
Have highly developed ethics
Resist total conformity to culture
So how does a person reach this pinnacle we call “Self Actualization”? This place that post-materialism is taking us all to- in a changing society? Do you find yourself described in these characteristics? What do you value? Maslow pointed out that these were not rigid levels of needs. One person may find love and belonging more important than security or meeting all their physiological needs. It’s personal and individual. The question is: what have you chosen. What do you need most? What do you have that you value? Are you satisfied with where you are on your life’s journey?
- Acceptance and Realism: Self-actualized people have realistic perceptions of themselves, others and the world around them.
- Problem-centering: Self-actualized individuals are concerned with solving problems outside of themselves, including helping others and finding solutions to problems in the external world. These people are often motivated by a sense of personal responsibility and ethics.
- Spontaneity: Self-actualized people are spontaneous in their internal thoughts and outward behavior. While they can conform to rules and social expectations, they also tend to be open and unconventional.
- Autonomy and Solitude: Another characteristic of self-actualized people is the need for independence and privacy. While they enjoy the company of others, these individuals need time to focus on developing their own individual potential.
- Continued Freshness of Appreciation: Self-actualized people tend to view the world with a continual sense of appreciation, wonder and awe. Even simple experiences continue to be a source of inspiration and pleasure.
- Peak Experiences: Individuals who are self-actualized often have what Maslow termed peak experiences, or moments of intense joy, wonder, awe and ecstasy. After these experiences, people feel inspired, strengthened, renewed or transformed.
http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/tp/self-actualized-characteristic.htm
So how do you decide what comes next?The music has always been in control of me, it decides for me. It’s just paying attention to how to do that job, fulfill that job. That’s the funny thing, most people go to work and say, “I’m going to do this from 9 to 5 and these are my goals, these are my short-terms goals, these are my long-term goals.” I’ve never had that. All I’ve had was, “I want to be involved in music. I don’t care if I’m a producer, director, writer, performer.” It didn’t matter to me. I don’t know what I’ll be doing next. I don’t tell the music what to do, I don’t tell myself what to do. That would be an injustice to what I’ve dedicated my life to doing.
There’s a lot of luck—or as White would say, a lot of random magic—in creating a hit song. Using the full history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart from 1980 to 2000 as a dataset, we found that generating hits is a very difficult and highly unpredictable business. We found very weak correlations between having a hit in previous years, and also between critical acclaim and hit songs. You can’t really sit down and write a hit. Hits are just magical. They come about when the stars align. If they were that easy, everyone would choose to have an album full of hits.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/apr/13/jack-white-solo-project-blunderbuss
Wegener, the German scientist, author of the Continental Drift theory was way ahead of his time, did not have a background in geography, had no credentials, no preconceived position to prove or disprove- he was just a youthful outsider who dared to challenge the thought leaders of his day.
With the view of historical analysis, it seems clear that Wegener and continental drift fit a pattern that has been repeated many times in geology as well as other scientific disciplines. As a discipline matures through time, complacency and authority develop, such that new ideas become increasingly difficult to accept. Those who are trained in the discipline “learn” a body of data, facts, methods, and theories which are taken to be literally true. To suggest otherwise may not be in the best interest of a person’s reputation and career.
http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/histgeol/wegener/wegener.htm
Obviously, he had many qualities of self- actualized people. He was problem centered, able to stay true to himself in the face of rejection and unpopularity, resisted conformity to culture, meaningful relationships and highly developed ethics. He wanted to stay home with his wife and three daughters and wondered aloud when he could finish his life’s work- there is no option but to continue on or die trying. Due to subordinates’ mistakes he undertook a journey to deliver supplies to his researchers in a frozen destination and never made it at age 50. Posthumously, his theories were proven and he is considered “the meteorologist who started a revolution in geology”.
Are you frightened or excited -by the prospect of reaching your fullest potential- being all your can be?The journey toward achieving a goal is just as important and enjoyable as actually accomplishing the goal. Make your own choices and Enjoy your journey!!!
.