Self actualized

Self actualization means realizing one’s full potential.


The three key to self- actualization are: self and identity(part 1), self awarness( part 2) ans self motives (part 3)

A) Self and Identity

Some of the most significant and influential schema (schema is a knowledge structure that guides individual expactations and beliefs, helps make sense of familiar situations) are those we have about ourselves. Knowlegde about ourself is very much like knowledge about other people.

If I asked who you are, how would you respond? You might tell me your name, that you are a student, or accountant, and perhaps that you are also athlete or have a part-time job. Alternative, you would tell me about your family, ethnic or religion.

There is many way you could describe yourself, all of which reflect your:

• Self-concept,

• Your knowledge,

• Feelings,

• Ideas about yourself.

In its totality, the self is a person’s distinct individuality. At the core of the self-concept is the self-schema. Social psychology believe that we have many different selves that can be more or less discrete and come into play in different contexts. The subjective experience of self is highly context dependant.Self not only decribe how we are, but also how we would like to be called possible selve. In 1987 two psychology took this idea further in their self-discrepany theory.

They distinguished between:

• actual self ( how one really is)

• idea self ( how one thinks one might to be),

• ought self ( how one thinks one ought to be).

The latter two are self-guides which mobilise different types of self-related behavior.

• * The ideal self engages ‘’promotional goals’’ - we strive towards achieving the ideal,

• * whereas ought self engages ‘’prevent goals’’- we strive to avoid doing what we ought not to do.

How do we learn who we are- how do we form self-schemas?


Introspection is one way, but the overwhelmingly social nature of human existence means that we learn much more about ourself from how other treat us, and from how we think others view us.Research on self-fulfilling prophecies shows that

• others’ expectation about us can change the way we behave.

• Social impact can affect self-conception because, according to self-conception theory,

• we often learn most about ourself by simply observing how we behave

If there is no obivious coercion to behave as we do, then we assume that the behaviour reflects the type of person we are.

Related Topic

Self Improving
Self psychology
3 Key of Self Actualization Part 2
3 Key of Self Actualization Part 3
Stereotype: how parent explain science to boys more than they do to girls