Self-Actualisation

Self-Actualisation

Reviewed by Faisal Zaidi

The top level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the wish to become what one is capable of becoming.

What it is

In the 1943 theory it sits above physiological, safety, belonging and esteem needs. It is the level least tied to a specific shortage, which makes it the hardest of the five to define and to measure.

In effect

In the article on whether Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is real, it is the least tidy of the five levels.

What it does not say

It describes an aim, not a measured stage that people reach in order, and it sets no test of who has reached it.

Sources

  1. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-396.