Self Actualization

Self-actualization is the need to fully develop one’s potential talents and capabilities. It is the desire to know and understand. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs describes an imaginary pyramid that begins with physiological needs at its base and aesthetic principles of self-directed growth at its apex. The triangle first describes the psychological notion of fulfilling biological needs, such as eating and drinking. Safety, love, and self esteem issues follow. After conquering such growth needs, the desire for self-actualization becomes strong as the ambition to know and understand takes precedence, for it is through understanding that we achieve enlightened fulfillment. Each individual reaches self-actualization via a different road. Though the final destination is the same, we attain answers to life’s questions according to our own methods and needs. Once we begin to live with an open mind, we can make strong and effective decisions about relationships, financial situations, and religious faith. Once we answer all of life’s basic questions concerning these issues and look into ourselves to establish our individualistic views on life, we achieve a form of self-actualization.

Living with an Open Mind

I find it very interesting how over the span of the last millennium, science and philosophy have continually evolved - at times, the changes are so drastic that they yield entirely new discoveries that rewrite history books and scientific journals. Think of this for a moment: The 1500’s spurned an amazing renaissance of thought. During the life of Polish astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus, the church and state of Europe still had a firm belief that the Earth was the center of the Universe around which the Sun and all the stars revolved. Any individuals, including Copernicus, who contested this long held theory, were many times persecuted and punished. The Catholic Church was one of the biggest advocates of this theory. It took one man, however, to set the world on its heels—an Italian astronomer named Galileo Galilei. At the turn of the 16th Century, he proved, through use of the scientific method, that the Sun and Earth were not, in fact, the center of the Universe. Believe it or not, this was thought to be a ridiculous theory and was even labeled blasphemy. Today, however, we know that the old theory of the Earth and Sun as the center of the Universe is ludicrous. Yet, Copernicus and Galileo were persecuted until the days they died for the theory they believed in and even proved.
What I find interesting is that all the priests and church and state officials believed with unfaltering faith that the Sun revolved around the Earth, yet they were mistaken. In addition, thinkers like Copernicus and Galileo died before their beliefs to the contrary were lauded as a monumental scientific discovery. Is that a tragedy? Probably not—they died with their belief systems in place. Yet, this does parallel modern day life in many ways. As long as you have faith in something, whether right or wrong, you will instill into it a strong belief system that defines you. You may even punish or ostracize individuals or groups who do not see things your way. Racism and religious persecution are still problems our global community faces day to day.
It is important to remember that thinking freely with an open mind is one of the most extraordinary gifts we have as humans. Galileo and Copernicus were free thinkers in a very close-minded world, yet their discoveries revolutionized how we perceive ourselves and our world today. We are not the center of the Universe—we are merely one part of something so vast it boggles the imagination. Yet, one principle will remain constant over time: No matter how much philosophy and scientific discovery changes our existence, humans will always desire to understand why they exist and how the Universe operates. Who knows? The thoughts we think today may seem ludicrous to those who live generations in the future. The vital thing is for everyone to live with faith in their belief systems along with a complete trust and openness for change.