Mary Lewis

Miss Thomson
AP Language and Composition
Friday, September 15 2017

The Virtue of Self-Actualization

Finding courage and transparency within yourself is a confusing and often times tumultu-

ous journey. But on the contrary, it is also a rewarding and uplifting adventure. This process is

called finding yourself or self-actualization. Self- actualization is the ability to look within ones

character leading to the discovery of a clearer path that an actualized person wishes for their life

and future.

Self -actualization is an outstanding moment of realization, in my lifetime I have not had

this experience that can change my future just yet. I believe that this virtue comes with experi-

ence and age. Even though it has not happened to me I do know someone who has under gone

this transformation and I was fortunate enough to experience his journey first hand. My Uncle

Mike was an alcohol and drug addict for a better part of his life. Recovering was not one of his

plans especially after his son, my cousin, died in a tragic car accident. Life quickly passed by for

all of us and he wasn't there to see it, he was missing the most important moments in his family’s

lives and opportunities in his own. When he came to this realization after his first grand daughter

was born, he made the monumental decision to become sober. This decision, I believe was an act

of self-actualization, my Uncle was able to look inside himself and see his potential within. He

decided to take hold of his life and future and be truly happy which makes him an actualized per-

son.

The process of self-actualization can be described as a long journey through a dark tun-

nel. A person only believes they will never escape because they can only see the darkness. Self-
actualization in itself would be the small glimpse of light that gives someone enough strength to

finish the journey. Because of the strenuous process of becoming actualized a person exudes cer-

tain characteristics that only this personal journey reveals. Abraham Maslow, an American psy-

chologist, who is most known for creating Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, had a few ideas about

these virtues. To summarize his thoughts these people embrace the unknown and ambiguous,

they are not threatened or afraid of the uncertain. They embrace what many find impossible. Ac-

cepting themselves is also a very big part of their lives. Self-actualization is not a journey of

erasing all flaws, it is about seeking happiness. The faults of an actualized person are the founda-

tion to make them stronger because they have learned to accept themselves. They passionately

emphasize the quality of the journey not just the destination. “They often regard as ends in them-

selves many experiences and activities that are, for other people, only means” (Maslow, “A The-

ory of Human Motivation.”) In other words, they look for life experience in the otherwise ordi-

nary. They also avoid enculturation or bending to societal norms by acting as they feel and mak-

ing themselves happy by following this pattern. They do not let society sway their beliefs or ac-

tions. These characteristics make actualized people stand out from the rest. As Beatles Drummer,

Ringo Starr, once said “I feel the older I get, the more I’m learning to handle life. Being on this

quest for a long time, it’s all about finding yourself.”

Building on this, in modern culture we look to celebrities as a means of example for

many situations we fall upon. Some of these famous figures promote hiding behind a facade of

public persona and unnatural materialistic camouflage that can create irrational standards to their

fanbase. There are only few celebrities that do not perpetrate this example and for that reason,

they are actualized. Kesha is an American singer who debuted as a party anthem kind of artist.

She was seen by the public as an out of control, wild individual. What the outside world did not
see was that she was being mentally, physically, and sexually abused. She was silent for a long

time about this but she recently built enough courage to speak publicly about it. Her return was

the debut of a new person. It appears that she is now a much more rounded and happy individ-

ual. The most amazing part of this self-discovery transformation is that she came from abuse on

all accounts and was able to draw strength from it. This experience is what makes her one of the

few celebrities that exude actuality. Another example of a self-actualized celebrity is Pete Da-

vidson, an American comedian that was known for his excessive drug use and even made light of

it as a big part of his comedy act. He just recently made the decision to become sober for his fans

and himself. He has said his discovery is a long, hard journey but he has become a better person

from it. His decision to become sober and his journey through sobriety is a clear example of self-

actualization. He wanted to make the people he loves and himself happy and he knew he could

accomplish that by becoming sober. The last exceptional example of self-actualization is singer

Demi Lovato. Demi was a Disney actress at a young age and was constantly in the spotlight.

When her addiction to alcohol and cocaine surfaced people were very surprised because she was

the last person anyone thought would be involved in something as serious as that. She not only

was hiding her addiction, she was hiding her true self. Her decision to go to rehab was a defining

moment in her journey. She decided to be public about her rehabilitation because she wanted to

be an example to others that sobriety is not an impossible task. The struggles and lives of these

celebrities help others learn what path they want to take. They show the outside world that some-

times people need to that hit rock bottom for them to see the light, as well as how beautiful that

light really is. By their actualization others learn what the journey looks like to find true happi-

ness and success.

 Blaise Pascal, a French writer, mathematician, and theologian, once said “One must

know oneself. If this does not serve to discover truth, it at least serves as a rule of life, and there

is nothing better” (Pascal, “Discourses on the Condition of the Great”.) This quote speaks the

many virtues of self-actualization which serves as a “rule of life” for many. When a person is

fully actualized they hold the monumental responsibility of not falling into old habits. Becoming

actualized means that a person has found a way to true happiness within themselves and wants to

change their ways to become that self-embodied fulfillment of joy. This does not come as easily

to some as it does to others. A drug addict can become actualized, and a college student can be-

come actualized, but they must take two very different paths to find their true happiness. While

the college student may have to just change their major, or stop going to parties every night, the

drug addict must go through the process of turning their life completely around, as well as reha-

bilitation. Although these two journeys could not be more different, they both carry responsibil-

ity. The college student has to abstain from their partying, or from becoming lazy, while the ad-

dict must fight through relapse. They both struggle with temptation and hardship, but in the end

self-actualization will always serve as a “rule of life.”

The moment of self-actualization in a persons life is an intense moment, and a mind bog-

gling state. It is the exact moment that a person realizes that they and only they have the ability

to change their life, and many others. So when asked what the world would be missing without

it, the answer would be hope, happiness, life, and many other crucial things that build a person’s

life. Carl Roger’s, an American psychologist once said "The organism has one basic tendency

and striving - to actualize, maintain, and enhance the experiencing organism” (Rogers, “1881”, p.

487.) Without self-actualization we could not maintain or enhance our lives, there would be a lot

of hate, and regret in people because they are unable to find and pursue true happiness. We could
not have hope that things could get better because we draw the strength to do so from ourselves.

The moment someone gives up hope is the moment they lose their actualization, and the moment

someone loses their will to become actualized is the moment they give up hope. Self-actualiza-

tion gives a person the ability to do what others may view as impossibly ambitious, or out of

grasp. Without it, people become lethargic and unhappy.

Self-actualization is not concrete, it is not physical, it is only a feeling. A strong enough

feeling that it changes people entirely. It is so vital to a person that they cannot live without it,

and so inspiring to some, that they chase it their whole lives. Self- actualization is the gift to look

within ones character leading to the journey through a clearer path a person wishes for their life

and future. Self-actualization is so much more then a word, and deserves so much more then just

a definition. It deserves to be put into action, through the lives and actions of others. As Ameri-

can actor, Jason Behr once said “Life is not about finding a home, so much as finding yourself.”