Personal self-realization

From this article you will learn:

What is personal self-realization
Why is self-realization so important?
What types and methods of self-realization exist?

Every person always has room to grow, since self-realization has no boundaries. Therefore, even a person who seems to have achieved everything in terms of personal development can move on. How to become better and what are the ways of self-realization, read in our article.

The possibility of self-realization is inherent in the individual from birth. It plays an almost fundamental role in the life of every individual. After all, self-realization is a mechanism for identifying and revealing the implicit inclinations and talents of an individual, which contribute to a further successful and happy life.

The problem of personal self-realization appears in early childhood and accompanies the individual throughout his entire life path. To overcome such problems, you need to work hard in this direction, since they will not be solved on their own.

There are many methods that promote self-realization, but a few of them are most widely used.

The biggest enemy of self-realization are stereotypes imposed by society. Therefore, the first step on the path to personal self-realization will be getting rid of the standards and templates imposed by society.

The personality represents both the object and the subject of social interrelation. Therefore, in the course of personal socialization, the active position of the individual himself, his propensity for certain activities, and the general strategy of behavior are of great importance. A purposeful, active person striving for the most effective self-realization, most often, achieves greater success in life than an individual who follows the lead of current circumstances.

Personal self-realization lies in the individual’s desire for the most effective use of the objective conditions of socialization and his subjective abilities and potential in order to achieve his strategic goals. The goal in the process of self-realization is the ideal, mental prediction of the outcome of an activity, as well as the methods and mechanisms for achieving it. A strategic goal is understood as the orientation of an individual to a long-term perspective.

As a rule, the opportunity for self-realization appears in an individual in several different types of activity, and not in one. So, for example, in addition to professional fulfillment, most individuals strive to create strong family relationships, have true friends, entertaining hobbies, hobbies, etc. All types of activities, together with goals, create the so-called system of orienting the individual for the long term. Based on this perspective, a person plans an appropriate life strategy, i.e. general aspiration of life's path. Such strategies should be divided into several main types.

The first type is a strategy for life well-being, which consists in the desire to create favorable conditions for life.

The second type is a strategy for success in life, which consists of striving for career growth, conquering the next “peak”, etc.

The third type is a life realization strategy, which embraces the desire to fully develop one’s own abilities in selected activities.

The choice of life strategy may depend on several factors:

objective social conditions that society can offer an individual for his self-realization;

a person’s belonging to a certain social unity, ethnic group, social stratum;

socio-psychological characteristics of the individual himself.

For example, in a traditional or crisis society, in which the problem of survival is pressing, most of its members are forced to choose a strategy for life well-being. And in a society with established market relations, the strategy of life success will be more popular.

The desire for self-realization, characteristic of every individual, is essentially a reflection of a more basic need - the desire for self-affirmation, which is expressed, in turn, in the movement of the real “I” to the ideal “I”.

Personal self-realization depends on a number of factors. Factors of self-realization can be individual or universal, influencing the development in the mind of an individual of his own life path scenario.

Effective methods to increase self-esteem

The first step to building self-confidence is recognizing the problem. Here are some of the most effective techniques that will tell you how to increase self-esteem and self-confidence.

Change of environment.

Refuse to communicate with people who are negative and constantly dissatisfied with something. Strive for successful individuals who are confident and have a positive attitude. Communication with such people will gradually restore a person’s confidence and self-esteem.

No self-flagellation.

If you constantly beat yourself up for mistakes and failures, you are unlikely to improve your self-perception. Do not use negative assessments in relation to your own life, appearance, career, finances.

Avoid comparisons.

Understand that you are the only person and there is no other person like you in the world. See yourself as a unique and unrepeatable person, even with flaws.

It is important! The only acceptable comparison is with a person who is more successful, based on his achievements.

Affirmations to increase self-perception.

Affirmations are short motivating formulas aimed at building self-confidence. It is better to repeat them in the morning and before bed. You can create a playlist with such affirmations.

Do unusual things.

It is much easier to hide from a problem with a glass of wine, desserts or tears. Try to face the challenge and see who wins.

Attend a training session on how to boost your confidence.

If it is not possible to attend the training, use specialized psychological literature or documentaries and feature films.

Play sports.

This is the best way to increase self-esteem. Regular training allows you to evaluate your appearance less critically. In addition, during physical activity, hormones of happiness and good mood are produced.

Keep a diary of achievements.

Record personal successes and achievements in your diary. Be sure to record every success, no matter how small from your point of view. Set a goal to write down 3-5 small accomplishments. Low self-esteem in men is especially dependent on low self-realization

Creative self-realization

They perceive the benefits of civilization and the creations of culture, which people use every day in everyday life, as something completely natural, as a result of the development of industrial and social relationships. However, behind such a faceless vision there is hidden a huge number of scientists and greatest masters who cognize the universe in the process of their personal activities. After all, it is the creative activity of predecessors and contemporaries that is the basis for the progress of material production and spiritual creations.

Creativity is an invariable attribute of an individual’s activity. It implies a historically established evolutionary form of activity of subjects, which is expressed in various activities and leads to the formation of personality. The basic criterion of a spiritually developed personality is considered to be its mastery of the complete process of creativity.

Creative activity is a derivative of the subject’s realization of unique capabilities in a specific area. That is why there is a direct connection between the creative process and the implementation of the subject’s abilities in a socially significant type of activity that has signs of self-realization.

It has long been an established fact that the most complete development of an individual’s inclinations and talents is possible only through the performance of socially significant activities. At the same time, it is quite important that the implementation of such activities is determined not only by external factors (of society), but also by the internal needs of the individual. Under such conditions, the activity of the individual is transformed into amateur performance, and the realization of abilities in the chosen activity acquires the features of self-realization. From this it follows that creative activity is an amateur activity, covering the transformation of reality and personal self-realization in the process of creating material wealth and spiritual values. Creative self-realization of the individual allows one to expand the boundaries of human potential.

In addition, it should be noted that it is not so important in what exactly the creative aspect is expressed, in the ability to skillfully operate a loom or in virtuoso playing the piano, in the ability to competently and quickly solve various inventive problems or organizational issues. After all, no type of activity is far from a creative approach.

It is not at all necessary that every member of society knows how to write poetry or paint pictures. The combination of all the natural forces of an individual, the expression of all his personality traits in action, contribute to the formation of individuality, accentuating his extraordinary qualities and unique features.

Fully mastered creativity by an individual means that he or she is following the path of developing the spiritual component of personal growth.

Creative self-realization of the individual is the area of application of the individual creative potential of the subject and the development of his reflexive attitude towards his own personality. Any type of creativity is a unique process of developing a personal worldview. Through creative activity, individuals independently acquire new knowledge and techniques. As a result of the acquired experience through such activity, the individual develops an emotional and value-based attitude towards his own personality and the reality that surrounds him. An individual achieves a certain degree of creative self-realization by using creative potential and expressing his creative essence.

Freedom as the main engine

Our whole life consists of constant choice. Freedom as a condition for personal self-realization occupies a leading position. After all, if a person does not have the opportunity to fully express himself, he will never become what he should be. Lack of will always appears as a result of refusal to take responsibility for what is happening. It's the same as committing betrayal towards the person closest to you, which is what you are.

Freedom as self-realization of the individual arises at the moment when a person begins to clearly realize that he belongs to something. He feels a great surge of strength and no longer wants to live as before. At this moment, it is important, having enlisted your own support, to begin taking the first steps. The more confidence you have, the easier it is to continue what you started.

Freedom as a condition for personal self-realization is extremely necessary for a successful start. If a person gets used to living in exhausting, limiting beliefs, then he begins to be afraid of any changes. Monotony seems to him synonymous with stability. He is afraid of any movement, since any experiment may end in failure. Not everyone has the additional strength to be able to survive all the “tests” of fate.

Professional self-realization

Today, the particular relevance of the problem of individual self-realization is due to the understanding that personal self-realization is a specific defining criterion in the formation of personality. Usually, there are two most significant areas of self-realization, which include professional activity and fulfillment in family life. For today's society, the issue of implementation in the professional sphere is becoming key. The requirements of modern times for a progressive and successful person are quite high. Huge competition in the labor market, difficult socio-economic circumstances of life determine the conditions for self-development and self-realization.

Self-development and self-realization are conditioned by self-determination and self-actualization of the individual. Self-determination provides one’s own definition, self-evaluation, and the ability to compare assigned tasks, chosen means of achievement and the situation of action.

Self-actualization is to some extent a trigger for building self-realization. This is the essential difference between self-actualization and self-realization. Consequently, professional self-realization can be understood as a constant, multi-temporal process of forming an individual’s potential in creative activity throughout his entire life journey.

Since the most complete disclosure of an individual’s inclinations occurs only in socially useful activities, therefore it is in professional activities that particularly broad prospects for self-realization open up. Professional activity occupies an almost central place in the lives of individuals. In the course of their lives, people devote almost all of their time, all their potential and strength to professional activities. Within the chosen profession, abilities are formed, career advancement and personal growth occur, the material foundations of life are provided, and a certain social status is achieved. Following a chosen profession and using professional skills is one of the most significant criteria for achieving a certain level of success in life.

In the course of professional self-realization, the subject develops professional thinking, which is characterized by the following characteristics:

awareness of one’s own belonging to the chosen professional community;

awareness of the degree of one’s own adequacy to professional standards, one’s place in the hierarchy of professional roles;

the individual’s awareness of the degree of recognition in the professional sphere;

awareness of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, opportunities for self-improvement, potential areas of success and failure;

understanding about your work in later life and about yourself.

Based on the degree of development of the listed characteristics, one should judge the level of an individual’s fulfillment in the profession.

However, not every professional activity will be an area of self-realization. For example, self-realization of a teacher is the process of a teacher achieving practical results of his teaching activities through the implementation of certain professional goals and strategies. An individual’s specific professional motivation does not always indicate active self-realization. Also, activities carried out mainly only as a result of volitional tension are quite energy-consuming and exhausting, which usually leads to emotional “burnout.” Therefore, a professional business for an individual seeking to realize himself should be entertaining and attractive. Along with this, it is very important that the basis of attractiveness is an understanding of the social value and individual significance of work. The predominance of the importance of work in the hierarchy of personal values is considered a guarantee of successful self-realization. Active self-improvement in the professional sphere prevents the occurrence of burnout syndrome.

Self-development and self-realization of the subject in professional activity is significant for personal adaptability and success in life.

It is possible to identify factors of self-realization, including personal qualities, which will be general prognostic parameters for professional self-realization. Among the most significant personal factors contributing to professional fulfillment, the self-efficacy of the individual, the flexibility of his behavior and dissatisfaction with personal activities come to the fore. Self-efficacy is directly expressed in the ability to organize one’s professional activities and achieve success when interacting with society. Flexibility of behavior is responsible for effective interpersonal communications and professional interaction and stimulates the development of the need for further growth in the profession.

Opportunity potential

Each of us has great potential hidden within us. Most people don't even know about it. Continuing to live an ordinary, unnoticed life, they do not have the opportunity to gain precious experience of getting to know their own inner world. If only we could somehow measure our rich potential, we would certainly be surprised. How many closed doors would open at once! So why is fear so restrictive that it prevents you from taking action, setting realistic daily goals, and striving to achieve a true state of happiness?

Think about what you are spending your life on. Do you spend many hours playing computer games? Are you striving to develop? Do you know what your top priority is? You should never give up on your dreams and exchange them for dubious pleasures.

Social self-realization

Social personal self-realization consists in achieving social success in life in the amount that a particular individual wants, and not in accordance with the real criteria of social success.

Social self-realization has a relationship with the implementation of a humanitarian function, a social and economic role, a socio-political and socio-pedagogical purpose, or any other socially significant activity. And personal self-realization leads to the spiritual growth of the individual and ensures in the first stages the development of personal potentials, such as responsibility, curiosity, sociability, hard work, perseverance, initiative, intellectuality, morality, etc.

Self-realization in life is directly related to an individual’s ability to empathize, show compassion, feelings of compassion, and with determination as confidence in one’s own abilities to achieve results. An individual’s social self-realization will be higher in the case when the individual has more clearly expressed qualities such as responsibility as the individual’s ability to take responsibility for his actions, confidence in his own potential and strength, and willingness to accept religious moral guidelines as the basis for his actions .

The desire for self-realization is determined by the position “I am for others,” which is experienced by the subject as the actual or predicted attitude of others to the way in which he brings to life, with their participation or in their presence, his individuality, which he realizes as an expression of selfhood.

Social self-realization does not yet mean social success, expressed in career growth, high salaries, and exposure in the media. If a person is striving for social success, then he will be able to do more in life, in particular for people. If a person strives for social self-realization, he is much more satisfied and happy in life. However, one should not oppose social success and self-realization - it is quite feasible to combine success in life and feel like a happy person.

Reasons for low self-esteem

It is difficult even for a specialist to determine all the criteria that influence the formation of self-perception. Psychologists distinguish innate factors, external factors and a person’s position in society. There are four most common causes of low self-esteem.

Peculiarities of upbringing in the family.

The statement “all problems come from childhood” is the most common reason for low self-perception. In childhood, there is a direct dependence of the child’s self-esteem on the principles of upbringing and the attitude of the parents towards the child.

It is important! If you constantly compare a child with his peers and point out mistakes, he will grow up unsure of himself. For a child, a family is the Universe where character traits are formed.

Failures in childhood.

If a child constantly experiences feelings of guilt in childhood, in the future this will turn into self-doubt and reluctance to make decisions on their own.

It is important! It is important to tell your child how to increase self-esteem and self-confidence and teach him how to react correctly to failures, so that the child does not give up, but moves on.

Inappropriate environment.

It is possible to form an adequate assessment only in an environment where success and achievements are sincerely valued. If a person finds himself in a passive environment where there is no initiative, he becomes the same. Low self-esteem and self-doubt characterize people in such a society.

Appearance and health status.

To a greater extent, low self-esteem is formed in children and adolescents with non-standard appearance and congenital pathologies. As a rule, the people around you are quite tough and straightforward in their judgments. First of all, overweight children need help. They need to be told how to love themselves and increase their self-esteem. A woman's self-esteem depends more strongly on her appearance.

Conditions for personal self-realization

The main general cultural conditions contributing to personal self-realization are two directions: upbringing and education. In addition to this, each social community works out its own specific educational processes inherent in it, which put into the consciousness of the individual exactly those unifying feelings, patterns of behavior and standards of worldview, norms of identity and solidarity that are most relevant at a given historical stage of cultural development. In the conditions of mass information culture, traditions accepted in society are of great importance. Actually, they convey value and moral guidelines. All this demonstrates that the course of the educational process is also influenced by certain cultural tools such as comprehension of traditions, the child’s copying of adults, etc.

The need for self-realization has its own characteristics and conditions for satisfaction. The specificity lies in the fact that when it is satisfied in single types of activity, for example, in writing a novel or creating a work of art, an individual will never be able to satisfy it fully. When satisfying his basic need for personal self-realization in a variety of activities, the subject pursues his own life goals and attitudes, finds his own place in the system of social relationships and relationships. Therefore, it would be stupid to build a single template for self-realization in general. Since self-realization “in general” cannot exist. Certain forms, methods, types, types of self-realization are different for different individuals. In the diversity of the need for self-realization, a rich human individuality is revealed and develops. That is why, when they talk about a comprehensively developed and harmonious personality, they focus not only on the completeness and richness of its abilities and inclinations, but also on the diversity and richness of needs, the satisfaction of which brings about a person’s exhaustive self-realization.

Intrapersonal search

It begins when an individual begins to ask himself questions regarding self-determination. Who am I and what should I do in life? How to start doing what you love if you don’t have the strength and opportunity to at least try and leave the job you don’t like? Such questions encourage action and push for a deep understanding of current events. An intrapersonal search can continue for several years until a person makes a final decision for himself. Here you can’t rush or limit yourself in choice. You need to be able to listen to your own voice, notice the slightest changes in consciousness.

Self-realization goals

The need for self-realization lies not only in the desire to improve self-knowledge, but also manifests itself as a result of working with the inherent potential and constant growth. People who have realized their own internal resources are usually called successful in life. The psychological problem of personal self-realization contains a discrepancy between the energetic and mental capabilities of the individual and the level of his actualization. In other words, due to various life situations, the real potential of the subject may not coincide with the final result of his activities, which often leads to a feeling of dissatisfaction with his life. However, despite this, the need for personal self-realization is preserved in each subject.

Although personal self-realization is observed in the process of an individual’s life, it becomes possible only on the condition that the individual himself is aware of his own inclinations, abilities, talents, interests and, of course, needs, on the basis of which the individual will build goals. In other words, the subject’s entire life is built on a series of actions aimed at personal self-realization and achieving set life goals. To be successful in life, certain efforts must be made, consisting of certain strategies and goals. The main condition for personal self-realization is the implementation of such strategies and achievement of goals.

As an individual grows, his needs also change, therefore, goals and strategies also change. For example, in childhood, the main goal of an individual is study, and in adolescence, goals related to determining the choice of profession and resolving issues of intimate life begin to prevail. After achieving the first strategy or stage of self-realization, when the individual has already started a family and has decided on a profession, the mechanism for correcting and transforming strategies and goals comes into play. So, for example, if the need for career growth is satisfied and the individual receives the position he sought, then this goal goes away and the process of adaptation to the position, colleagues, etc. begins. Something similar happens in family relationships. The choice of self-realization strategies and setting current goals takes into account the age category of the subject, his character and immediate needs.

Self-realization in life has its own specific methods and tools for implementation. Every day an individual reveals himself in work, hobbies and interests, etc. However, today the main and important tool through which the full potential of an individual is revealed is creativity. Many psychologists believe that only with creative activity does an individual engage in excess activity without pursuing a specific goal. In other words, creative activity acts as a voluntary activity, for which an individual is ready to expend all his potential, all his strength in order to express himself and his own potential. And the following universal human values, mechanisms and needs motivate an individual to painstakingly and long-term work on himself:

need for recognition in a team;

in the development of intelligence;

desire to start a family;

the desire to achieve success in sports or become physically developed;

the need for an elite profession, career growth and work with high earnings;

the desire to constantly improve oneself;

desire for social status.

What is self-esteem

Self-esteem - what does it mean in psychology? This is a subjective assessment that a person gives to himself, determining his capabilities, the degree of need and importance for others. However, self-esteem is associated not only with self-esteem, but also with the level of aspirations and self-confidence. According to one of the definitions from psychology, self-esteem is the ratio of success to the level of a person’s aspirations. The more often expectations and success coincide, the higher self-esteem.

Self-realization process

The most important condition for personal self-realization is self-development. Since for successful personal self-realization an individual must have moral and spiritual values, which are the substantive foundation of such a spiritual and practical process. For example, a teacher’s self-realization presupposes sustainable moral self-improvement and a desire for constant creative self-development. Self-development consists in the transformation of the individual himself in the direction of his own “I”-ideal, which appears under the influence of external factors and internal reasons.

Personal self-development is associated with the life activity of the individual, within the framework of which it is realized. That is why, from the age of a preschooler, from the moment the child has identified a personal “I,” he becomes the subject of his life, as he begins to build goals, obey his own desires and obey aspirations, but at the same time, taking into account the demands of others. Such impulses must necessarily acquire a social orientation, otherwise they will have a destructive effect on the formation of personality.

In the processes of self-improvement, levels of personal self-realization are distinguished:

aggressive non-acceptance of the activity being carried out, i.e. the individual does not want to engage in this type of activity, but has to;

desire for peaceful avoidance of work, i.e. the individual chooses another profession;

the performance of work activity occurs according to a pattern or in accordance with a certain model, this level is called passive;

the individual’s desire to improve his own individual elements of the work being carried out;

the individual’s aspiration to improve his actual work or activity in general; this level is called creative or inventive.

There is also another differentiation of levels. It presents the following levels of self-realization: low or primitive-performing, medium-low or individual-performing, medium-high or level of embodiment of roles and implementation of norms in society with elements of personal growth, high level or level of value realization and embodiment of the meaning of life. Each level has its own determinants and barriers. This is expressed in the presence of a diverse psychological nature at each level. For example, gender differences at different levels have different degrees of expression (to the maximum extent at low levels, to the minimum at high levels of personal self-realization in the main areas of life).

The process of personal self-realization does not act as the achievement of a developed “ideal” through the “disclosure” of one’s full potential - it is an active and limitless process of formation and self-improvement of personality throughout the individual’s life path.

Signs of a lack of self-respect

Signs of lack of self-esteem:

lack of trust in yourself and others;
problems with decision making;
doubts about the importance and necessity of what a person does;
diffidence;
a feeling of being unloved and a sense of hostility in the world;
chronic feeling of loneliness;
uncertainty in life.

A person without self-respect withdraws into himself, is afraid to meet people and open up to them. He feels unhappy and therefore becomes irritable and aggressive.

Problems of self-realization

Unfortunately, today we must state the fact that the problem of personal self-realization remains insufficiently studied and developed, since there is no holistic theory of self-realization as a social process. However, it is possible to identify typical problems of self-realization that an individual faces along the path of life.

In adolescence, every teenager dreams of growing up and becoming a big businessman or a famous actor. However, life, society and even parents always make their own adjustments. After all, modern society does not need thousands of actors and big businessmen. For its progress and prosperity, society needs individuals who have masterfully mastered working professions, accountants, drivers, salesmen, etc. Due to the discrepancy between what is desired and the unpleasant reality, the first problem of self-realization is born. Yesterday's teenager, living in dreams, has to make a difficult choice between a business that interests him and a profitable profession. The second difficulty is the inability to correctly determine and choose the most suitable field of activity after graduation. Often many people do not understand that the areas of self-realization can be different. If an adult individual has become a professional surgeon, and not a famous actor, as he dreamed of as a child, this will not mean that he was unable to self-realize in the profession. The areas of self-realization are quite extensive; an individual can realize himself not only in the profession, but also in the role of a parent, spouse, in creativity, etc.

In order to solve the problem of self-realization, you should not try to plan your whole life in adolescence. Also, when the first difficulties appear, you don’t need to give up, change or sell your dream for good money.

After determining the professional activity, the subject faces the next problem of self-realization, which consists in his perception of the possibilities of his work and professional activities as a condition for further full-fledged personal growth.

Belief in your own capabilities

Without this component nothing will happen. Only faith makes us move forward even when other guidelines are lost. Before starting to act in the direction of a planned goal, a person needs to know that he is capable of achieving it. This is why people so often give up on implementing their plans without even taking the first step. They simply do not believe in themselves, they consider them unworthy of all sorts of rewards and gifts from fate! Self-determination and self-realization of the individual occupy a leading position in the process of effective advancement.

When there is no faith in success, nothing can happen. A person draws inner strength from his own source of inspiration. When it is empty, no bright ideas enter your head, life seems gray and meaningless.

Choice of profession

Sometimes we settle on one option only because our parents or friends advised us to do so. In rare cases, by the time he graduates from school, a person really has a clear idea of what he wants to do before retirement. To be responsible for the rest of your life, you need to take on great responsibility. Often we make this choice chaotically, succumbing to someone’s persuasion. And all because we don’t know how to listen to ourselves, we don’t value our own talents, we are constantly in self-criticism!

Meanwhile, choosing a profession is quite a serious decision to neglect. Before directing your efforts to the development of this or that activity, you need to think carefully. When a decision has not yet been finalized, it is easy to change it. Ask yourself several times a day whether the chosen profession is really suitable for you, do you dream of something more?

Controversial issues

Who is the author?

It is believed that the creator of Maslow’s pyramid is Abraham Maslow himself, an American psychologist, a man who devoted his life to issues of personal self-realization. However, the pyramid in the form in which we are accustomed to seeing it has nothing to do with the scientist. For the first time, the “Hierarchy of Needs” in the form of a diagram was published in 1975 in the first edition of the textbook by U. Stolp. And Maslow died 5 years earlier in 1970.

A satisfied need does not motivate

Agree that a well-fed person is unlikely to fight for food. And the one who does not need communication will not strive for it, perhaps he will even begin to avoid intrusive interlocutors. People who do not care about prestige do not need to change their behavior, break their habits in an attempt to satisfy a need that they do not have. After all, in essence, a “current” need is one that is not satisfied at a given moment in time. And to understand which needs are relevant, you just need to find out which of them are not satisfied.

Theory vs practice

No matter how structured this model is, it is difficult for it to find practical application, and in general, this scheme can lead to completely inappropriate generalizations, many modern psychologists believe. After all, if you remove the statistics and consider each person individually, the question immediately arises: are we so hopeless in a situation of prolonged malnutrition? And is life so bad for someone who is not recognized in society? History knows many examples when people achieved what they wanted thanks to unmet needs. What is unrequited love worth...

And from the point of view of Maslow’s pyramid, it is completely incomprehensible how a person, under conditions of concentration camp imprisonment, found the strength to conduct underground anti-fascist activities. Or how great artists, being in complete poverty, found the strength to create. And there are many such examples.

There is evidence that Maslow himself abandoned his own theory. In his later works, Towards a Psychology of Being (1962) and The Farthest Limits of Human Nature, published posthumously in 1971, Maslow seriously modified the entire concept of motivation and personality, thus essentially abandoning the multi-stage pyramid of needs that is so assiduously tried today in practice, many psychologists and marketers.

"Anti-Maslow"

Only the lazy did not criticize Maslow's theory. The pyramid is criticized, first of all, for the very idea of hierarchy and the impossibility of satisfying all needs once and for all. There is even a rather harsh interpretation of the theory according to which “according to Maslow, a person is an animal that constantly wants something.”

Recognition and veneration

Having settled down in a comfortable home with his soulmate, a person begins to wonder what else is missing in life? The answer comes to the fourth step of the pyramid - the desire to establish itself. Even with a well-paid job, a person often feels inferior. The desire for honor and respect is natural in all areas of life: work, home, social connections

By using this need when communicating with a person, you can quickly attract his attention, inspire confidence and, therefore, persuade him to purchase the product.

To establish strong bonds of trust, it is important to choose people whose behavior reveals uncertainty and reticence.

Self-governing destiny

This is not the journey of some celebrity, not your lover, not a guru, not the path of a yoga teacher. This is certainly not some religion, deity or path of God that you can follow blindfolded.

Your self-realization is 100% unique to you. Therefore, all steps involve self-reflection. Yes, you are the guide, the torch, the lord and the messiah, the steps, the road and all the turns in this journey.

It is all yours and this code can only be broken by you and not by some manipulating guru or god.

Self-awareness

Self-awareness is the most important element in this process, as it is the component that works sequentially and in parallel with all the other stages.

This can be called a pulse, an energy wave. Self-awareness affects the psyche, intuition and instinct. Your intuition is your most valuable, most powerful tool and weapon in this long journey. However, since intuition is fueled by experience, your awareness becomes sharper the longer you stay on this path.

Aesthetic need

It is not for nothing that Maslow himself attributes the need for beauty to the highest levels of the pyramid. It is not the main thing, without visiting a museum and admiring masterpieces of art, a person can easily live a long, happy and quite rich life, but there are cases when filling an aesthetic need is urgently necessary. First of all, this applies to people who have achieved certain heights and satisfied all other levels. They lack the fullness and colorfulness of life, therefore, they look for this beauty in their surroundings. Products from the higher levels of the pyramid are rarely in great demand and require searching for a specific caste of customers. It is quite logical that a factory worker from a remote village is unlikely to be interested in a Dali painting or Bradbury’s works, so 60% of the success of selling such a product will depend on the choice of a suitable consumer and only the remaining 40% on your approach.

Self-healing

Nowadays, a large part of the population is obese. Most others are hooked on various prescription drugs. Our medical system is clearly a failure. This makes people sicker and more dependent on pharmaceuticals.

Almost all prescription drugs contain warnings about serious side effects. Many drugs actually cause other diseases. A true seeker of self-realization does not blindly follow the recommendations or directions of others. The journey itself is a true growth process.

You must learn to care for your body, your mind, and your spirit in a way that is finely tuned just for you.