Abraham Maslow: An Overview
Maslow's legacy began at Brooklyn College, where he was a teacher for almost twenty years. During this time, Maslow was heavily influenced by Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer and anthropologist Ruth Benedict. Maslow believed that they Wertheimer and Benedict were such exceptional people that he began to analyze and take notes on their behavior. His analysis on them served as the basis for his theories and research on human potential. In the 1950s, Maslow became one of the founders and behind the school of thought known as humanistic psychology. Maslow's theories including the concepts of the hierarchy of needs, self-actualization, and peak experiences; these concepts were fundamental in the humanist movement. At a time when a great number of psychologists focused on the aspects of human nature that were considered abnormal, Maslow shifted the focus to look at the positive sides of mental health. His interest in human potential had a lasting influence on psychology.
Self-Actualization
Self actualization is the highest level on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This term can be defined as achieving one's full potential and desiring to become more than what one is.. In addition to describing what is meant by self-actualization in his theory, Maslow also identified some e key characteristics of self-actualized people: acceptance and realism, problem-centering, spontaneity, autonomy and solitude, continued freshness of appreciation, and peak experiences. By acceptance and realism, Maslow said that self-actualized people have realistic perception of themselves, others, and the world around them. Maslow defined problem-centering as the characteristic of self-actualized individuals to solve problems outside of themselves, including helping others and finding solutions to problems in the outside world. Maslow said these people are often motivated by a sense of personal responsibility and ethics. By spontaneity, Maslow characterized self-actualized people as spontaneous in their internal thoughts and outward behavior. Individuals conform to rules and social expectations, but they also tend to be open and unconventional. Maslow defined another characteristic of self-actualized people as autonomy and solitude, meaning that these people need independence and privacy. They may enjoy the company of others, but they also need time to focus on developing their own individual potential. For continued freshness of appreciation, Maslow stated that self-actualized people tend to view the world with a continual sense of appreciation, wonder, and awe. For self-actualized people, even simple experiences continue to be a source of inspiration and pleasure. Maslow said that self-actualized people often have peak experiences, moments of intense joy, wonder, awe, and ecstasy. After these peak experiences, self-actualized people feel inspired, renewed, or transformed.
Maslow and the Humanist Perspective
Maslow’s ideas portray the humanistic perspective because he focuses on fulfilling one’s full potential. His ideas represent the humanistic perspective, also, by focusing on the good of mankind, a sense if fate for each person, and a lack of control over one’s life, but trust that life will turn out well anyway, because it’s a course of nature. It also relates to personality development because as a person develops, they learn the difference between right and wrong. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs outlines how a person’s personality develops as their individual needs are met.