Self-actualization needs: what are they, according to Maslow?

The last level of Maslow's pyramid is composed of self-actualization needs.

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, true to our nature and at the same time strive to reach our ideal. This will does not come out of nowhere, nor is it exclusive to a few, but is part of the main and most evolved human needs: the need for self-fulfillment..

This concept, which is especially known by Maslow's theory despite having been worked both previously and subsequently by different authors, is especially relevant in our society and in the search for personal and social well-being. And it is about it that we are going to talk in this article.

Maslow's theory of human needs

To talk about self-actualization needs, it may be convenient 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 similar concepts existed in theories such as Jung's or Erickson's).

According to Maslow's theory, which arises from his research on the factors that enable personal development and well-being (which in turn arose as a reaction against the pessimism of the psychology of the time, centered on the pathological), human beings find their behavior motivated by the presence of a series of needs established around the tendency towards growth and the attainment of objectives.These needs can be structured in the form of a pyramid depending on how necessary they are for well-being and even survival.

These needs are ordered hierarchically and in order to be able to focus on satisfying the most superior ones it is necessary that the previous ones are mostly covered, otherwise it would be the uncovered one that we would need to satisfy in the first place.

From the base to the top: the five major types of needs

The base of this pyramid is found in the basic or physiological needs, which are Biological in origin and have a biological and physiological origin.which are biological in origin and the attainment of which allows us to survive. This includes mainly the need for food and water, as well as the need to breathe and sleep.

Once these are satisfied, it is possible to focus on a second level, in which are the security needs. In this sense, the human being needs to find a safe and protected shelter, as well as 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 affective and affiliation needs, insofar as we need to be part of the environment and feel included and loved. This is the need for socio-emotional bonding with those who matter to us, including family, friends or partner, as well as being part of a group of belonging.

A fourth level refers to the needs for esteem and recognition, which speak of social recognition and the maintenance of self-esteem: the need to feel respected and recognized or to do so ourselves.

Finally, at the top of the pyramid of the hierarchy of human needs are the needs for self-actualization.We will focus on them below.

What do we call self-fulfillment needs?

We call self-fulfillment needs the set of needs focused on one's own development, to grow and develop oneself in such a way as to reach the maximum possible human potential, both one's own and that of others. At this level we find elements such as the development of morality, orientation towards others and the pursuit of ideals, in addition to exploiting one's own faculties and potential. It is the search for the maximum possible development, to overcome the barriers of one's own possibilities and to transcend, as well as to live the here and now in its maximum plenitude.

It is also possible to understand the needs of self-realization as the will and pursuit of the ability to give meaning to one's own possibilities and to transcend, while living the here and now to the fullest. the capacity to give meaning to the life we have.or as the search for the completeness of the course of our life, the attainment of our vital goals and the struggle to achieve them.

This is the highest type of need, the peak of the pyramid of human needs, and it is 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-fulfillment involves growth and the pursuit of life goals or objectives, and ultimately is often associated with the search for one's own identity and the meaning of life.

The need for self-actualization is universal, and although it is at the apex of human needs, it is ultimately the one that structures the development of the others. Nevertheless, according to Maslow it is difficult to focus on this type of needs if the previous and most basic ones are not covered.If, for example, we need to look for food and shelter in order to survive, we can hardly think about how to feel fulfilled.

What do self-actualized people usually have in common?

Although being fully self-actualized is complex (in fact Maslow indicated rather the existence of a need for self-actualization or continuous improvement, considering that few people reach the ideal of self-actualization), both this author and others consider that self-actualized individuals have a number of characteristics in common.

In the first place, those who feel self-realized tend to have an adequate vision and perception of the world, being able to accept themselves and the world around them as they are.. This is carried out independently of sociocultural influences or the opinion of others.

Self-realization entails the assumption of freedom for oneself, with self-realized people being able to be as they are and manifesting naturalness and spontaneity. They do not tend to fall into stereotypes, and are usually more concerned with solving problems than with having them.

Their personal relationships tend to be deep, although they tend to be selective with them. They need intimacy with a few people, although they also recognize the need to distance themselves and maintain a certain level of privacy. They still have a strong sense of community and identification with humanity.

They are focused on ideals and are consistent with their values and ideals, as well as being able to focus on their own values and ideals.They are also able to focus on and solve the real problems they face. Feeling self-actualized often leads these people to feel good, in a state of emotional upliftment and sometimes even flow and mystical experiences.

It is especially noteworthy that self-actualized people tend to show high levels of creativity, and to be nonconformist with what does not seem right to them (despite being able to see that their option is not the only valid one). They also possess ethical certainty and tend to act in accordance with their convictions, as well as acting with a democratic tendency.They also have a democratic tendency and the ability to appreciate others. Of course, feeling self-realized does not imply that we do not have flaws or imperfections, just like everyone else.

Bibliographical references:

• Maslow, A.H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50 (4), 370-396.
• Rosal Cortés, R. (1986). Personal growth (or self-realization): goal of humanistic psychotherapies. Anuario de psicología / The UB Journal of psychology. No.: 34