Self-Actualization
Becoming the fullest version of yourself — the top of Maslow's pyramid, the goal of humanistic psychology.
Origin
Term coined by neurologist Kurt Goldstein in 1939 and adopted by Abraham Maslow as the apex of his [[maslows-hierarchy]]. Maslow studied people he considered self-actualized — Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Frederick Douglass — and listed common features: spontaneity, problem-centered focus, peak experiences, comfort with solitude, resistance to convention. Carl Rogers, working in parallel, built his entire person-centered therapy around the 'actualizing tendency' — the assumption that, given the right conditions, people naturally move toward growth.
Modern usage
Common in self-help, coaching, and corporate L&D. 'Self-actualized' has drifted from Maslow's precise meaning into a vague label for 'fulfilled and impressive.' The Japanese loanword [[ikigai]] is its current trendier cousin.
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