The term self-actualization has been a subject of various theories concerning individuals and individual development. It was introduced by a theorist Kurt Goldstein, who, described it as a ‘motive to actualize all of one’s capacities’. Another theorist, Abraham Maslow, described it as ‘an individual's desire for fulfillment, to become what he potentially is or to become everything that one is capable of becoming’. According to the dictionary of Psychology, ‘self-actualization is an inborn tendency to maximize one’s talents and potentialities’.
Concisely, self-actualization is an internal force that motivates a person to recognize and utilize his abilities and capabilities in order to become what he was meant to become. It is a continuous process and requires individuals’ intensity, direction and persistence of effort towards attaining a goal.
To self-actualize is to listen to inner self - the subconscious mind[1]. It’s like having a direct contact with soul and asking questions like: is this what I meant to be, is this what I wanted to be, or is this what I am capable of. During this process, the body disconnects itself from the outside world and shut out the external clues which influence our thinking, feeling and speech. It then transgress and go into a vacuum - a space[2]. In daily life, it is social thought that determines our action. We act as people wants us to act. We become what people want us to become. But when we are provided freedom to think, we will be able to relate ourselves to our heart and soul and; reason our potentials rationally.
Self-actualization is about living a meaningful life. It’s an awakening call persuading us to relate to our inner world and utilize innate gifts and talents. However, it is a weak tendency - like a whisper or a quiet voice from within. Therefore, it mostly goes unheard. It is to a person to be sensitive to this whispering or quiet voice of the self.
Importance of Self-Actualization:
All human beings possess potential to excel. That potential only needs realization and activation or in Maslow’s words ‘self-exploration and action’. Those who do not realize and activate their potentials might go into depression. A person will become a dreamer if he does not put his potential into practice. He may feel inspired by his thoughts and potentials but if he doesn’t act upon them he will achieve nothing. So, either, we realize our potentials and move ahead to lead a purpose full life or else we live as dumb driven cattle and our soul will wither away with time.
Self-actualization evoke a feeling in us that nothing is left wanting, a sense of freedom and liberation, a sense of harmony and satisfaction that ‘I’ am an integral part of all that surrounds me and that, ‘I’ am fulfilling my true individual purpose. However, it is important to identify toxic actualizations and meanings, and release them from mind as only positive actualization can be useful.
Self-actualization can only work effectively if there is a desire - a will to do so. The socialization from the family - the primary unit, must provide amiable environment to the growth of a broad mind, a positive self-concept and outlook towards life, encouraging an individual to become what he beliefs in.
The realization of ones full potential and setting the same into action is the need of the day. Pakistan doesn’t lack in intelligence and talent. Pakistan doesn’t lack in resources and potentials. Indeed, our people have proved time and again that they are not incapable of comprehending and achieving objectives. Such a nation deserves to live with pride and make a contribution to the welfare and progress of the nation. What we lack is probably ‘the will’ to awake or trigger motivation and this task is as urgent as it is gigantic.
In order to apply and realize what we belief in, we need to continually assess our strengths and weaknesses and count the good things in life. Being positive and optimistic in approach and knowing that there is always another way of looking at things will make us realistic, logical and spontaneous and we will feel relatively safe, accepted, loved and alive.
Self-Actualization - Soul Searching - Self-Exploration - Introspection
As already stated, self-actualization is a tendency to maximize one’s talents and potentials. Whereas soul searching means examination of one's conscience especially with regard to motives and values. Soul searching is self-exploration and analysis of one's own unrealized spiritual or intellectual capacities. It can be a vision, an intention, a value or an inspiration-anything that helps us in learning, discovering and growing our abilities. The deeper the self-exploration, the closer one comes to self-actualization. Another term, which can be used interchangeably with self-exploration, soul searching and self-actualization is introspection. Introspection, according to D. M. Armstrong is a self-scanning process in the brain acquiring information about our current states of mind apt for the production of certain behavior or in short ‘an examination of one's own thoughts and feelings’.
Self-actualization is not a new phenomenon. It is the same ‘khudi’ (self), about which Iqbal speaks so frequently in his poetry and prose. Iqbal inspired the Muslims with the realization of life and urged them for self-reformation and self-actualization by searching for their self. He stated that if a person does not take the initiative, if he does not evolve the inner richness of his ‘being’, if he ceases to feel the inward push of advancing life, the spirit within him hardens into a stone and he is reduced to the level of dead matter. He wrote: “Your prayer cannot change the Order of the Universe, but it is possible that praying will alter your being; if there is a revolution in your inner Self; it will not be strange, then, if the whole world changes too"(Iqbal: Zarb-e-Kalim)
Even Quran states that,“Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts”.[3]
Self-actualization alone can elevate our nation to a progressive level. We have some shinning examples of the countries like Japan, South Korea, Greece, Rome, Egypt, before us who overcame social and moral degeneration after realizing their potentials and achieved results that shocked the world.
The Republic of Korea occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, covering an area about one third, and a population about one half of Pakistan. It gained independence from Japan in 1945 (Pacific War) and after 5 years plunged into a 3-year war (Korean War 1950-52) that ultimately resulted in the splitting of the country into two entities of North and South Korea and left South Korea economically and morally devastated. South Korea was the third poorest country of Asia four decades ago characterized by high inflation, high population growth, lack of natural resources and a high unemployment rate. But then it started coping up and achieved remarkable development in the fields of education, industries, and exports and above all moral regeneration. South Korea has now become the 13th largest economy in the world. They started off with agrarian reforms, followed by exportation, steel production, manufacture of automobiles and later by electronics.
The Korean nation has gone through tough and harsh times in history and had made quite sacrifices but emerged out more strong and developed. The underlying fact of their success was that that Korean people always took pride in their country and faced the challenges bravely. They placed their faith in the hands of able leaders and believed in their ‘potentials’ and in themselves. The results were astounding; South Korea rose to such a level of economic and technical advancement that it is referred to as the ‘Asian Tiger’. The nation bore the brunt of hard times for a better future. The teachings of Confucius, the ancient Chinese philosopher has a great influence on the thinking of South Koreans even today. The basic ingredients of their remarkable success are hard work, discipline and a sense of integrity and integration arising from patriotism.
Pakistan has got rich heritage. We need to nurture higher values, moral standards and foster our potentials to be made useful for the betterment of the country.
Notes:
[1] ‘Subconscious mind is a level of mental life existing just below the threshold of consciousnesses, where dwells a part of our memory that is accessible by an act of will’: Frank J. Bruno in Dictionary of Key words in Psychology, Routledge Kegan Paul Publishers, London, 1986, pp. 226-227.
[2] ‘Space is that area of abstraction, which allows us to comprehend sensual experience. It is an element of systematic framework that we use to structure our experience’: Immanuel Kant in Critique of Pure Reason.
[3] Quran, Surah Ar Ra’d No.13, Verse No. 11, Translation by Marmaduke Pickthall.
References:
1. Kurt Goldstein, The Organism: A Holistic Approach to Biology Derived from Pathological Data in Man.
2. Abraham Maslow, A Theory of Human Motivation
3. Frank J. Bruno, Dictionary of Key words in Psychology, Routledge Kegan Paul Publishers, London, 1986.
4. L. Michael Hall, The untold secret of Self actualization
5. Huge Wiley, Are you using the energy of self-actualization
6. Merriam-Webster
7. D.M Armstrong in ‘Introspection’: Quassim Cassam (ed), Self-Knowledge, Oxford University Press, 1994.
8. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam
9. Dr. Maqbool Ahmed Bhatty, Pakistan: Today and Tomorrow, National Book Foundation, Islamabad, 1988.
10. Frank Agyekum, South Korea: A Success Story Worth Emulating, 2005
Notes:
[1] ‘Subconscious mind is a level of mental life existing just below the threshold of consciousnesses, where dwells a part of our memory that is accessible by an act of will’: Frank J. Bruno in Dictionary of Key words in Psychology, Routledge Kegan Paul Publishers, London, 1986, pp. 226-227.
[2] ‘Space is that area of abstraction, which allows us to comprehend sensual experience. It is an element of systematic framework that we use to structure our experience’: Immanuel Kant in Critique of Pure Reason.
[3] Quran, Surah Ar Ra’d No.13, Verse No. 11, Translation by Marmaduke Pickthall.
References:
1. Kurt Goldstein, The Organism: A Holistic Approach to Biology Derived from Pathological Data in Man.
2. Abraham Maslow, A Theory of Human Motivation
3. Frank J. Bruno, Dictionary of Key words in Psychology, Routledge Kegan Paul Publishers, London, 1986.
4. L. Michael Hall, The untold secret of Self actualization
5. Huge Wiley, Are you using the energy of self-actualization
6. Merriam-Webster
7. D.M Armstrong in ‘Introspection’: Quassim Cassam (ed), Self-Knowledge, Oxford University Press, 1994.
8. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam
9. Dr. Maqbool Ahmed Bhatty, Pakistan: Today and Tomorrow, National Book Foundation, Islamabad, 1988.
10. Frank Agyekum, South Korea: A Success Story Worth Emulating, 2005