What is Self-Actualization | Defining Actualization and Beyond

“I think of the self-actualizing man not as an ordinary man with something added, but rather as the ordinary man with nothing taken away.”
— Abraham Maslow

In my previous article I more deeply defined ‘self’, but what does the ‘actualization’ refer to?

What is self-actualization?

A great way to understand the word ‘actualization’ is to look at some synonyms of its root word, actual. Real. Fact. Genuine. Authentic. True. At its core, the world actualization means to make real/authentic.

If we bring this back to my quote from my previous article that “self-actualization is a dance between ‘being’ and ‘becoming’”, self-actualization is a dance between being real/authentic/true and becoming real/authentic/true.

Let’s break down those two components starting with ‘being’ actual/real/fact/true and then moving on to ‘becoming’ real.

‘Being real’ refers to non-judgmentally looking at ‘what is’. How skilled are you at that? To look at what is on its own terms without judgment?

The process of ‘being actual’ refers to accepting your own fallibilities, looking at reality on its own terms, being able to handle the truth, to speak your truth, acknowledging and accepting your weaknesses physically/mentally/emotionally, etc.

Now let’s move on to ‘becoming’ real/actual. Presupposed in being a fallible being is that there is always ‘potential’ to become better/more skilled. There is always room for improvement, there is potential for you to become more/better. How aware are you of that fact?

The process of self-actualization is a dance between accepting the facts of your present fallibility of yourself and your circumstances (and even appreciating it) while at the same time being true/real/accurate with what your potential is. And then stepping up the challenge before you to step outside of your comfort zone to close that gap.

This is a journey that never ends because those on this journey are constantly ‘real-izing’ more about what their ‘true’ potential is vs. illusions/perceptions/childish hopes, dreams and desires.

They are never guaranteed the potential will/can be fulfilled but must step up and try regardless.

It is in the attempt that their perceptions of the world run up against the facts of the world itself. It is in the attempt that they gain the opportunity to refine their perceptions and to make them more accurate for next time.

And if and when those potentials are actualized, the possibility of new potentials become unleashed and discovered. Another gap is created between the newly realized facts of what is, and the potential of the newly desired.

Self-Actualization is not a desire, a hope, or a want. It is not something that would be ‘nice to have’. Self-actualization is a human need. Abraham Maslow, the father of Self-Actualization psychology ventured far enough to say “If you deliberately plan to be less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you’ll be deeply unhappy for the rest of your life.

Self-actualization is about being real/authentic/true to what is, becoming real/authentic/true to what is possible, and being in the joy and flow of closing that gap.

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