What Is Self-Actualization?

To take the test of self-actualization yourself, go to Barry Scott Kaufman’s website:

https://scottbarrykaufman.com/selfactualizationtests/

• I accept all sides of myself, including my shortcomings
• I accept all of my quirks and desires without shame or apology
• I have unconditional acceptance for people and their unique quirks and desires

• I am often undisturbed and unruffled by things that seem to bother most people
• I am relatively stable in the face of hard knocks, blows, deprivations and frustrations
• I tend to take life’s inevitable ups and downs with grace, acceptance and equanimity

• I feel a deep sense of identification with all human beings
• I feel a great deal of sympathy and affection for all human beings
• I have a genuine desire to help the human re

Taken together, this total pattern of data supports Maslow’s contention that self-actualised individuals are more motivated by growth and exploration than by fulfilling deficiencies in basic needs.

Another significant takeaway from the stu...

Maslow’s ideas are regarded as humanistic psychology, arising in part as a reaction to Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis and B.F. Skinner’s behaviorism. This line of thought sees individuals as inherently striving towards self-actualization, where their capabilities and c...

• I have a generally creative spirit that touches everything I do
• I bring a generally creative attitude to all of my work
• I am often in touch with my childlike spontaneity

• I often have a clear perception of reality
• I am always trying to get at the real truth about people and nature
• I try to get as close as I can to the reality of the world

In 2018, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, from Columbia University, published a study that updated Maslow’s work with modern statistical methods and proposed 10 specific characteristics that are shared by self-actualized people.

Kaufman updated Maslow’s me...

• I feel a great responsibility and duty to accomplish a particular mission in life
• I feel as though I have some important task to fulfill in this lifetime
• I have a purpose in life that will help the good of humankind

1. Continued Freshness of Appreciation
2. Acceptance
3. Authenticity
4. Equanimity
5. Purpose
6. Efficient Perception of Reality
7. Humanitarianism

• I often have experiences in which I feel new horizons and possibilities opening up for myself
• I often have experiences in which I feel a profound transcendence of my selfish concerns
• I often have experiences in which I feel one with all people and things on this planet

• I can appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy, however stale these experiences may have become to others. A sunset looks just as beautiful every time I see one
• I often feel gratitude for the good in my lif...

• I can maintain my dignity and integrity even in environments and situations that are undignified
• I can stay true to my core values even in environments that challenge them
• I take responsibility for my actions

The pyramid of human needs devised by Maslow was based on the idea that human motivations follow a prioritizing pattern. The 5-level hierarchy of needs goes from purely “physiological” towards “love”, and “esteem,” with each stage needing to be satisfied before moving on...

If you find yourself not scoring as high as you would like, Kaufman thinks you can develop such characteristics by changing your habits.

“A good way to start with that, is by first identifying where you stand on those characteristics and assessing your ...