Synonyms
Definition
Self-actualization is variously considered a motive, striving, need, or goal involving behaviors directed toward the fulfillment of personal potentials. Its meaning is captured in the phrase “becoming the best you can be.”
Description
The roots of the concept of self-actualization can be traced to classic Hellenic philosophy where it received its most notable treatment by Aristotle (Fourth century B.C.E./1985) in his discussion of eudaimonia in the Nicomachean Ethics. The question addressed was the nature of a life that could be considered as most worthwhile or most desirable. For Aristotle, eudaimonia was viewed as “activity expressing virtue” (p. 284) where virtue may be thought to be the best within us or excellence. This philosophical perspective is essentialist in that it posits both a generic human nature characteristic of membership in the species homo sapiensand an individual nature embodying the...
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References
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Waterman, A.S. (2023). Self-Actualization. In: Maggino, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_2626
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