Premise:

Human beings lie in the continuum from relatively healthy to relatively unhealthy in their mental and psychological dispositions.

Sigmund Freud.

People who are relatively healthy in their mental disposition are psychologically advantaged while those who are relatively unhealthy are psychologically handicapped.

Theoretical Constructs

David Mc Celland’s three factor theory implies self-actualization as the need for achievement.

High Self-Actualization individuals have a high need, want or desire for achievement and to chase after results. They are psychologically advantaged. On the contrary, low self-actualization individuals are psychologically handicapped as they have a low need, want or desire for achievement and result orientation.

Clayton Alderfer’s ERG interprets high self-actualization as high growth needs while Kurt Goldstein defines self-actualization as realizing one’s full potentials. It explains why high self-actualizing individuals take the initiative to develop their potentials, seeking knowledge, skills or competencies towards becoming a professional expert. Such individuals see learning and growing as a lifelong process. On the other hand, low self-actualizing individuals have low needs, wants or desire for growth. They are not interested in self-development and are reluctant to learn new things.

Abraham Maslow puts self-actualization at the peak of his hierarchy of needs. He interprets self-actualization as the need to achieve everything one is capable of becoming. High self-actualization individuals  enjoy doing and getting satisfaction and fulfillment from giving their best. Individuals with the need for high self-actualization do things enthusiastically and passionately while those with low need for self-actualization do things slowly and grudgingly.

Henry Murray in his theory of psychogenic needs implies self-actualization as ambition needs related to the need for achievement. The need for achievement is often expressed through succeeding, achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. High self-actualizing individuals have high need for ambition to achieve lofty positions and goals while those with low need for ambition are easily contented with a simple life.

Carl Rogers posits that high self-actualizing individuals have a high need to achieve their full potential and will strive to reach the peak of human development and become a fully-functioning person. Individuals who have  attained this stage will be open to experience, lack defensiveness, ability to interpret experiences accurately, possess a flexible self-concept and the ability to change through experience,  to trust one’s experiences and form values based on those experiences, unconditional self-regard, the tendency to be open to new experiences, do not feel the need to distort or deny experiences,  open to  and feedback and willing to make realistic changes and live in harmony with other people. On the contrary low self-actualizing individuals have a low need to achieve their full potential and behave otherwise.

Definition

Bernard combines the compatible views of the above psychologists and defines the self-actualization as the need, want and desire for achievement, growth, and fulfillment and to strive, develop and reach one’s full potentials to become a fully functioned person and live a meaningful life.

Description of the high, in-between and low the self-actualization personality.

High Self-Actualization (Normal) Personality Type

 High Self Actualizing Individuals are relatively healthy mentally and psychologically. They have a high need for achievement, growth, and fulfillment and to find meanings in life. Being achievement oriented, they are hardworking, responsible, committed and chase after goals and results. They believe that success can only be achieved through hard work. They have boundless energy and will not mind spending long hard hours to get the job done.

High Self Actualizing Individuals seek fulfillment and get satisfaction out of doing a good job. They enjoy and strive to perfect the art of what they are doing. They have high drive, and are self-motivated, energetic and enthusiastic about their work. Their motivation is single minded self-satisfaction and sees their responsibility and commitment as a direct relationship to the result they will achieve.

High Self Actualizing Individuals have high growth needs. They are trainable and accountable for their mistakes and see them as an opportunity for learning and growing. They strive consistently by continually updating their knowledge and skills to become more competent and effective in becoming a professional expert and see learning and growing as a continuous life long process.

High Self Actualizing Individuals seek to reach the peak of human development, become fully functioning and to find meaning in life. They have high integrity and are reliable in getting things done.  They understand that success requires the attributes of fairness, integrity, honesty, and ethics and last but not least trustworthiness.

In-Between Self-Actualization (Normal-Neurotic) Personality Type

Average Self Actualizing Individuals have a moderate need for achievement, progress, and self-improvement and to find meaning in life. They are not very conscientious or committed to achieve their life goals. They work according to their moods and sentiments. They perform inconsistently in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. They perform well when they are happy.  When they feel bad they are likely to work half-heartedly and at their own pace. They are not passionate in acquiring skills and knowledge. They seem indifferent in developing and improving themselves to progress in their career. They leave their success to fate. They have a moderate respect for values and ethics. They live by their subjective moral codes of conduct. They are fair in their thinking and logical skills. It explains their lukewarm approach to their responsibilities and commitment. In the face of pressure, they are likely to lose their senses and become stressed and tense.

Low Self-Actualization (Neurotic) Personality Type

Low Self Actualizing Individuals have low need for achievement, progress, and self-improvement and to find meaning in life. They are not sure of what to do with their lives and tend to take things as they come. They work to keep themselves alive. They are not bothered about working, learning, growing and to find meanings in life. They are not committed and do not put in enough effort in what they are doing. Their lives are not going the way they have expected. They are currently stressed and in pain and despair. They are quite frustrated with life and tend to drift along aimlessly.