Thoughts on Self Actualization? and Self Reliance? ?

Question

I have always been a believer in self reliance, always trusting and believing in yourself...well pretty much relying on yourself.

"This above all; to thine own self be true." -William Shakespeare

Well i have talked to a person who was raised by an amazing mother who is almost finished with her thesis to earn her Master's in Psychology. Now, you can imagine she is a very, very smart lady and he was telling me about self actualiztion and the self actualization triangle (if youve never seen it, you can just google "self actualization triangle" and it should be there.) and alot of the things that i had been trying to explain to another friend, but i couldnt because it was such a deep complex thought in my head, were explained to me by him. and i completely understood what he was talking about and he even answered almost all of the questions that were giving me road blocks in my mind.

and im wondering, is there other people who know about self actualization, what they know...and am i allowed to ask if a person is over 18 or over 25??? im wondering because at age 18 your brain developes more, and at 25 your brain is completely developed, and i want to know if and how the developed-ness of the brain affects peoples understanding of this question. if not than, forget the age part.

sorry its so long, but please. i need input.

thanks.

Answer 1

One of my passions is Self-Actualization. I am a psychology major and have read quite a deal of material on self-actualization. It's difficult for me to answer your question "what do I know" because it would continue on and on in book lengths. If you have a specific question please feel free to post it or email me and I will answer to the best of my ability.

Self-actualization is basically when you are in tune with yourself. You try to understand your motivations and "self" as the self is. If you are interested in this I would highly suggest reading Abraham Maslow’s books--he talks a great deal about self-actualization and what it pertains to. One thing is I do not believe self-actualization is completely reachable. It is a long process, a daily process, a way of life, a mentality and perception of the self and life, a pathway of consistent learning.

I am over 25 years old. It was about 6 years ago that I really started to have a passion of self-actualization. I would go to an academic library and just read books and have done a great deal of research. I am unsure how to answer your question pertaining to the "develop-ness" of the brain. I do not believe when I was 18 or younger I could have grasped self-actualization on the level that I understand it today (I am 27 years old). Also life experience does help in the quest for self-actualization.

Answer 2

In God we trust, but we tie down the camels ourselves. An old Egyptian proverb. Self reliance and self actualization are both life studies. Your brain is developed at 27 (three cycles of 9 years) but for the sake of argument, keep it at 25. My brain is now in cycle # 7 and still learning, still assimilating, still weighing, still learning, still teaching. And I hope will carry on until the last day.  Your understanding will improve with time, on condition that you are willing to change and grow. If you are an atheist now, don't be scared to become religious, or vice versa.

Peace.

Answer 3

Annie, do not put the cart in front of a horse. Just take a look at our fingers. You`ve the long ones, the short ones and the thick round ones. It isn`t of the above mentioned shape, What is more, it`s of the functions and roles of each and single one can do.