Our Generation’s Collective Quest: Self-Actualization
“It isn't normal to know what we want. It is a rare and difficult psychological achievement” - Abraham Maslow
Self-actualization is the journey to discover your truest self. While the path to self-actualization isn’t easy, it is worthwhile. Maslow's hierarchy of needs illustrates that we must first overcome our physiological and safety needs before we can focus on love and belonging, self-esteem, and ultimately, self-actualization. However, Maslow observed that only about 1% of people actually reach self-actualization.
For our generation, concerns about basic physiological and safety needs are lower than ever before. We have enough; we are okay. Free from the daily struggle for basic survival, we often turn to pursuits of leisure and what John Locke called the ‘Pursuit of Happiness’. But if these pursuits are so satisfying, why are we witnessing rising rates of depression, suicide, and melancholy?
When our physiological needs of food, air, and water are unmet — they dominate our attention and focus; immutable until satiated. Whereas the need for self-actualization is more subtle, often overlooked or diminished, unless we look closely.
Consider the indifference of the jaded office worker who returns each evening to their air-conditioned apartment and home-cooked meal (I know; this was me). Or think of the pervasive collective disdain for a society that offers parks, beaches, and community events.
The discontent of the modern human living in the most comfortable era of all humanity is not trivial; it reflects a profound truth. A truth that is testament to the ever growing need in all of us for ‘something more’. The need for self-actualization is here and it is apparent but what does it truly provide?
In a word - Meaning. Happiness is a fleeting, temporary state of mind. Meaning cannot be sustained by chasing impermanent emotions. Our obsession with a future state that eludes us as quickly as we grasp it is a recipe for sorrow, self doubt, and malaise. In my experience, self actualization is a vital ingredient to living a life of contentment and meaning which endures beyond momentary happiness. Moreover, self-actualization paves the way for our most important step on the journey toward self: self-transcendence.
Shortly before his death, Maslow introduced the concept of self-transcendence:a need that surpasses self-actualization. The desire to become more than yourself. Self-transcended people often set goals unrelated to individual gain. Through the lens of self-transcendence, we can witness altruism in its finest form. By nurturing altruism, we take one collective step closer to a more harmonious community and, dare I say, world peace.
While this may seem like a lofty goal to achieve within our lifetime, it is a worthy undertaking. By taking a step in this direction for ourselves and for our global community, we illuminate the way forward. Especially since other paths appear fraught with confusion, scarcity, melancholy, and isolation.
Which world do you choose?
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”
-Martin Luther King Junior
If this blog post has inspired you to take a step on your own path to self-actualization, please reach out for a complimentary insight session. Together, we will explore your strengths and weaknesses, identify your core values, and craft a vision for your self-actualized life.
