Self-actualisation (Maslow and beyond)

Did you know that even if you have all the toys in the world, the yummiest snacks, and a cozy bed, you might still feel like something is missing? This is because humans are like seeds—we aren't just meant to sit still; we are meant to grow into big, beautiful trees. ## What is Self-Actualization? **Self-actualization** is a big word that means becoming the very best version of yourself. It is the feeling that you are doing exactly what you were born to do. A famous thinker named [Abraham Maslow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow) studied what makes people happy. He realized that we have a list of needs, like a ladder. At the bottom are things like food and sleep. In the middle are things like friends and hugs. But at the very top is self-actualization. In his book, [Toward a Psychology of Being](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toward_a_Psychology_of_Being), Maslow explained it like this: > "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be." ## It is Not Just About You For a long time, people thought self-actualization was just about making *yourself* great. But later in his life, Maslow realized there was one more step even higher than the top of the ladder. He called it **Self-Transcendence**. This means that once you become your best self, you start using your talents to help everyone else. It’s like a flower that doesn't just bloom to look pretty, but to provide nectar for the bees and beauty for the whole garden. Another thinker, [Carl Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Rogers), believed that to do this, we need to be "fully functioning"—which just means being honest with ourselves and open to the world. ## Growing Every Day You don't have to wait until you are a grown-up to start "blooming." You do it every time you try your best at a hobby you love, every time you are brave enough to be yourself, and every time you help a friend. It is not a prize you win at the end of a race; it is the way you run the race every single day. *** **To keep exploring, you might wonder:** 1. If everyone became their "best self," would we still have disagreements, or would the world work perfectly together? 2. Can a person still "bloom" if they don't have enough food or safety, or is the ladder the only way up? 3. What is the difference between doing something because you *want* to be famous and doing something because it is "what you must be"?