2013 International Conference on Advances in Social Science, Humanities, and Management (ASSHM 2013)

The Beauty of the Transcending of the Humanity --Research on Maslow’s Self-actualization Theory Liu Hongyu1 Han Lu2 1The School of Psychology and Cognitive Science of East China Normal Unversity 2The School of Art and Design of Wuhan Textile University Abstract： but also the highest value goal of the entire Abraham Harold Maslow is a world-renowned psychology and ethics. Maslow's psychology social psychologist, personality theorist and an and ethics are built around one center, i.e., man expert at comparative psychology. Maslow has or humanity. It is human-centered and based on also made great achievements in philosophy and humans’ needs with full realization of human literature. potential as its final goal. Maslow's theory can Maslow is a well-known scholars with his be expressed by a simple formula: human → study of self-realization in the West.The concept need (motivation) →behavior → realization of of self-realization is complex and rich in value or humanity (self-actualization is the connotation.He completed the research on the vertex). Maslow suggests that self-actualization self-fulfilling the original intention of those who is based on people's needs system rooted in are very specific,such as,to identify human genetic gene like instinct, namely the intrinsic beings,to make outstanding contributions to requirement of the realization of five needs society of people of common personality (physiology, safety, love/belonging, self-esteem, characteristics,to identify some of the positive self-actualization) from the bottom to the top, human potential value of the goal. and ultimately reaching “self- actualization”. Based on his posthumous masterpiece The The driving force to reach self-actualization Topmost Degree of the Human Nature, this comes from the inherent human nature of article studies origins of the core theories in meeting the needs driven by primitive impulse. Maslow’s humanistic psychology with Self-actualization is the basic need, the ultimate consideration of his literature, philosophy and goal and a continual process of growth for childhood experiences. Meanwhile, the article human beings, and demonstrates itself in the also tries to analyze self-actualization and peak form of peak experience in psychology. experience from the prospective of humanity. 1. Maslow 's upbringing and the creation of Keywords: humanistic psychology, humanity, the self-actualization theory self-actualization, peak experience Maslow’s theories like “hierarchy of In the 1950s, humanistic psychology was needs”, “self-actualization”, “peak experience”, created by a group of American psychologists “fulfillment of potentials” and “human centered” led by Abraham Maslow. It was regarded as “the are well-acquainted by people, and some of his third force” after Sigmund Freud's psycho thoughts have even become part of human analytic theory and B.F. Skinner's behaviorism awareness in the current world. Renowned by by academics, and Maslow himself was called his self-actualization theory, Maslow is naturally “father of humanistic psychology”. questioned by many: “Is Maslow himself a “Self-actualization" is the theoretical symbol of self-actualized person?”, “How does he exploit Maslow’s humanistic psychology and the core of his own potentials?”. In order to explore the his theories on ethics. What is more, it is not sources of Maslow's theory, it is necessary to only at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, focus on the psychology master's upbringing.

© 2013. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press 229

In 1908, Abraham Maslow was born in a positively directed by the mentos, he began to Jewish family, which had moved to Manhattan trace the roots of their excellent qualities and to in USA when they gave birth to Maslow. His explore the question, “Why are they so early memory primarily was about his mother, different?”And hence, he put his hands to a with whom he had developed very unhappy relatively profound research on “excellent relationship. Being excessively religious and figures” and gradually pushed it forward to the cruel in nature, Maslow’s mother would theory of “self-actualization”. He started to make immediately shouted at the children for some a deep analysis of outstanding people and tiny mistakes and said: “You’ll be severely gradually developed the "self-actualization" punished by God!” Although he can’t forgive his study until he completed his marvelous work mother even in his adulthood, the Motivation and Personality in 1954, putting disadvantageous childhood experiences, though forward the exciting transformation from adverse in his growth, spurred him to overcome traditional psychological research to the the difficulties, to spur himself forward and to combination of scientific and ethical research compensate for those miserable experiences. It mode, which represented the pioneering, creative was the transformation from soul torture in and positive features that are typical of childhood to scientific inquiry did young American styles. Maslow gradually develop a strong suspicion to Maslow put forward the concept of “similar religion and respect for atheism. To avoid the instinct” on the basis of his criticism of two tensions at home, he immersed himself in books irreconcilable theories of traditional instinct and even when he was five, and could always find behavioral environment that dominated the area refuge in library and books, which nurtured his of psychology before him. He pointed out, “ the intense interest in study. When he was in lower early theorist on instinct had made a severe grades learning American history, Thomas mistake to overstress the continuity between Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln became his human and the animal world, but not the heroes. When he was 14, for the first time in his profound differences between human and other life, he was attracted by his cousin, Bertha species.” [1] “and thus instinct is strong, firm, Goodman, and thereafter spent their lives unchangeable, uncontrollable and together. The first kiss with Betha had been the irrepressible”[1]. The mistake lies in the most important moment in Maslow’s life, which comparison between animal and human. Maslow enabled him to have a real “peak experience”. disagreed with early instinct theories on that they Several years later, when starting the research of regarded all behaviors as the results of biological self-actualization theory, Maslow employed instinct drive, yet he believed that human needs these people and experiences as the basic and behavior were decided by biological researching examples. He directly pointed out in organisms and environmental culture. The Topmost Degree of the Human Nature, Contrastive to the traditional instinct theorists, “Self-actualization means to fully, lively, Maslow has tempted to distinguish the essential spontaneously experience life, totally absorbed, characteristics from that of the non-essential forgetting everything else.”. ones and he saw more of the complexity of In the 1930s, Maslow met Harry Harlow human needs and the plasticity of human and Thorndike, the two most important mentors behaviors. in his life in psychological research. With their The Topmost Degree of the Human Nature help, Maslow grew quite fast in this research elaborates on the exploration of humanity, field. At the same time, deeply influenced and theories of self-fulfillment, transcendence,

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creativity and many others. By understanding could only be left with individuals’ and analyzing Maslow's upbringing, we can see self-actualization, and that was not adequate to that humanistic psychology advocates explain the lofty spirit and actions for human people-oriented psychology studies, and the sacrifice for seeking truth. In his later years research of ideological source of normal people Maslow had seen this conflict and he suggested with good health, dignity and self-actualization. that a highest layer of needs should be added It is closely associated with Maslow's struggle above self -actualization, namely transcendence and unyielding strength in his terrible childhood needs. In 1967, Maslow published environment, his efforts of seeking and “Self-Realization and its Transcendence” and cherishing better sides of life, the unremitting “Transcendent Motivation: the Biological pursuit of scientific proof and faith in humanity. Foundations of Value and Life”. He stressed that everyone is a perfect person and Maslow suggest that motivation of human each person should dominate themselves instead behaviors originates from their needs[2]. As a of by others. Just like numerous excellent people complex organism, human beings express their he has studied, his own upbringing is the very needs in different ways and levels, which can be individual practical and theoretical proof of divided into five categories: physiological needs, "self- actualization". safety needs, love/belonging needs, esteem 2. Maslow’s Transcendence of Personality needs and self-actualization needs. and the Birth of Ultra-individualism Self-actualization needs are the highest level that Psychology people can reach, which provide people the In 1954, Maslow put forward the famous impulse to bring out their personalities, hierarchy of needs theory in Motivation and potentials or abilities and represent a tendency or Personality, and first proposed the concept of state of “desiring to become of what he can be humanistic psychology, but they failed to gain and then become of what he can be, yet keeping attention because of the domination of loyal to his own nature.” These hierarchies or behaviorism at that time. It was not until 1961 levels of needs are driven by different needs when Maslow founded the academic journal of order and power of human motivations. "Humanistic Psychology" and formally In Maslow's final months of life , he established the “American Humanistic became more aware that any theory about Psychological Association” in the following year humanity should confess our own imperfections, did humanistic psychology begin to gain a but we can never despair. Maslow realized that foothold. On July 8, 1966, Maslow was elected even the best people, including "self-realized chairman of the American Psychological people" he had kept studying for a long time Association, which brought him into the most with reverence, were imperfect. But these can prosperous life stage. In that fall, Maslow won not hide or deny people’s value and the highest the highest praise of his life, and was named level they can reach. "humanitarian" by the American Humanist 3. Core of Maslow’s psychology theories: the Association that year. topmost degree of humanity With deeper research on those outstanding Some scholars believe that psychologists and "self-realized" people, Maslow was in can be divided into two kinds , one is career constant improvement of his needs theory. He type , another is lifelong type. The former, just found out that if we wouldn’t see motivation like most scholars, regard psychologic research from the higher level of human development, as a career, yet seldom involve themselves as then the peak of motivation pyramid would and subjects in the study. Conversely, the latter get

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their personal principles and life experiences bliss. It is the most beautiful and happiest involved in their research. Obviously, Maslow moment of life, the highest level that human falls to the latter category. He endeavors to development can achieve. This experience is become a practitioner, to replace knowledge often fleeting that can not come by easily: with intelligence, enthusiasm with prohibited experience of love (for other people or things), ration, to use practice as his real life experience. of being parents, of the vast, mysterious or He soothes half the trauma the morbid natural feelings, of aesthetic appreciation, of psychology has brought to us, and compensates moment of creativity, of epiphany in therapy or for the other healthy half. Therefore, Maslow is, thinking, of sexual lust and so on. And all these in some way, not only an academic master, but a happiest moments and highest level of pioneering psychologist. achievements can be called peak experiences" [3] Maslow shares his thoughts on the topmost Peak experiences will consequently result in degree of humanity like this: self-actualized feelings of gratitude, which are similar with the people satisfy their needs at different levels, and gratitude the religious believers have to God, the then get the peak experience that leads to the ordinary people have to their kind parents or the topmost degree where humanity can reach. lucky ones have to their fate. "This kind of Thereafter, they can retrieve the real values that gratitude often shows the love to everyone and have been repelled by science and technology. everything, making people feel that the world is This is the core of his psychological theory. so beautiful that they are encouraged to do good Maslow stresses: “due to peak experience, things, to repay the world and shoulder individuals’ cognitive abilities have been responsibilities.” [4] Peak experience is a moment fundamentally transformed from tangible and state for self- affirmation and self-assurance cognition to the understanding and realization of which has its own intrinsic value. Peak values of existence. In this state, people have experiences are for the ultimate achievements shared their highest degree of identity . " and the very goal to be achieved .” Peak Experiences are brief moments of In his life time, Maslow not only devots self-actualization. Only when you often have himself to the development of theories , but also peak experiences can you successfully achieve proves them with his unique personality. He’s self-actualization. Maslow believes that successfully established a groundbreaking image self-actualizing people, who normally are at the which leads itself to peak moments. “The New top of the pyramid of human needs, are more York Times” once commented: “Maslow’s likely to reach peak experiences. Because people psychology has laid a milestone for human who reach this stage desire to achieve personal beings to understand themselves.” He is also development. Not like most of us, they are not commended : “it is because of Maslow that afflicted by anxiety , misinterpretation of reality, people deem it promising to be a human being. which enables them to judge others and the He sees the brightness and future out of the environment in a more sensible way. With a world that is full of chaos and turbulence, and he quite high level of mental ability, these people shares all these with us . " will be able to stand out in many fields, such as References: science, art and even in social service sectors. [1] Maslow. Human Potential and Value [M]. Maslow has made lots of descriptions of Lin Fang (translator). Beijing: Huaxia Publishing peak experiences. He believes that “peak House , 1987. experience” is the generalization of life [2] Maslow. Motivation and Personality [M]. experiences of ecstasy, enchantment, rapture and Xu Jinsheng (translator). Beijing: Huaxia

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Publishing House , 1987. [4] Maslow . Self-realization of People [M]. Xu [3] Maslow. The Topmost Degree of the Human Jinsheng , Liu Feng(translator). Beijing: Life . Nature [M]. Lin Fang (translator). Yunnan Reading . Joint Publishing Company , 1987. People's Publishing House , 1987.

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