Answer to Question #220404 in Economics for coleworld

Question

Discuss Maslow's suggestion that "People are in a continuous state of motivation and that the nature of that motivation is complex". Not more than 350 words.

Answer 1

Studying the motivation of personality development, A. Maslow formulated 15 main features inherent in the so-called self-actualizing individuals:

1. Effective perception of reality and comfortable relationship with reality. Self-actualized people are characterized by an adequate perception of reality, free from the influence of actual needs, stereotypes, and prejudices, the absence of fear of the unknown, and uncertainty.

2. Acceptance (yourself, others, nature). Self-actualized people accept human nature as it is, do not embellish reality, they are characterized by the absence of artificial, protective forms of behavior (hypocrisy, bigotry, falsehood, and pretense), as well as rejection of such behavior by others.

3. Spontaneity, simplicity, and naturalness. Self-actualized people are quite spontaneous in their behavior and extremely spontaneous in their inner life, thoughts while observing established rituals, traditions, ceremonies, but treating them with a good-natured grin.

4. Service. This presupposes focusing attention on external problems, solving fundamental issues (life in a global coordinate system). Such people are not engaged in introspection but in their life mission or vocation. They often relate their activities to universal values ​​and tend to view it from the perspective of eternity, rather than the present moment.

5. Detachment, the need for privacy. Such people are characterized by a tendency to loneliness, they take a position of detachment in relation to many events, including the events of their own lives. This helps them to endure troubles relatively calmly and to be less susceptible to the influences of the external environment.

6. Autonomy, independence from culture and environment, will, and activity. This means high stability under the influence of destructive forces, the ability to heal itself, independence from the opinions of others. At the same time, autonomy presupposes self-determination, the ability to take responsibility, and an active search for solutions.

7. A fresh look at things. Self-actualized people simply enjoy life, each time they find something new in what is already known.

8. Mystical experiences and higher experiences. The feeling of the disappearance of one's own "I", the utmost concentration and immersion in the problem.

9. A sense of identification with humanity as a whole.

10. Interpersonal relationships. A self-actualized person is able to completely merge with a loved one, become a part of him. The absence of manifestations of hostility in interpersonal relationships is characteristic.

11. Democracy. This is manifested in respect for any person, willingness to learn from others.

12. Ability to distinguish means from ends, good from evil. Self-actualizing individuals behave in a highly moral manner, acutely feel good and evil. They are goal-oriented and know how to enjoy the process.

13. Philosophical sense of humor. Such people relate humor to life in general, to their professional activities, to themselves.

14. Creativity. This trait is understood as a way of perception of the world and interaction with reality, it does not depend on what a person is doing, and appears in all actions of a self-actualizing personality.

15. Resistance to cultural influences, cultural transcendence. Self-actualized people do not unconditionally accept the culture to which they belong, they are quite critical of it, choosing the good from it and rejecting the bad.

Thus, according to A. Maslow, a self-actualizing personality is distinguished by an individual attitude towards the surrounding reality. A. Maslow does not idealize such a person, emphasizing that she is also subject to shortcomings, wrong actions, stubbornness, irritability, inattention to others.