Self Actualization Needs - Definition, Importance & Example

Published in Marketing and Strategy Terms by MBA Skool Team

What is Self Actualization Needs?

Self actualization need is the requirement when a person is seeking personal growth, self- fulfilment. Self actualization need exist because of acceptance and realism where an individual accepts what they are and what they are capable of. They achieve the most accurate view of themselves. Self actualization needs enable a person to have a fresh mindset, in-depth experiences, better preparedness. In order to achieve the self actualization need state of personal fulfilment a person must fulfil his/her needs, of love, safety, belongingness, etc, according to Maslow.

In hierarchy of needs by Maslow, self actualization need is the final stage of the linear growth of an individual in the process of converting from needs to wants to demands. Self actualization comes after physiological, safety, love & belongingness and esteem needs. Self-actualized individuals possess a number of characteristics which enable them to achieve and satisfy the first four initial categories of needs. They make them increasingly spontaneous and lead to having a more sorted and innovative thought process. They also possess an unconventional methodology and lead to prospective ideas.

Self Actualization Needs


Importance of Self Actualization Needs

The self actualization needs lead people to perceive reality more efficiently and enables them to tolerate uncertainty with better preparedness. This enables them to accept themselves and others for how they are. The needs also enable them to become spontaneous in thought and action. Their thought process becomes problem centred and not self-centred.

Their outlook towards life becomes objective rather than being subjective. They think in a highly creative manner. They work in an abstract manner but not unnecessarily unconventional. The needs render them more concerned for the welfare of humanity. They become more capable of appreciating the basic life-experience. This renders them to have a wider and more expanded outlook towards problem solving. They are able to establish a very deep interpersonal form of relationship with their close ones. Their experiences are at the peak, and whatever they go through are mostly high limited experiences. They have an elevated need for private concerns. They have definitively democratic attitudes and very strong moral and ethical standards. They have a continuous fresh association with innovative aspects of thought. self actualization needs focuses on morality, creativity, problem solving, and the desire of one wants to achieve.

Advantages of Self Actualization Needs

1. Understanding self actualization needs can lead designers to crack the toughest people, for any advertisement or promotional material.

2. It allows them to create an ideal product which would provide a near self actualization feeling if not a complete one.

3. The efficiency of our product usage and their compatibility also increases once a marketer understands the self actualization needs.


Disadvantages of Self Actualization Needs

1. Wrongly estimated self actualization needs might lead to a product formation which may result in a big failure.

2. Inefficient products obstruct customers from reaching their best and performing at their best level.

3. Not developing products which appeal to the human sympathetic needs might prove as a major disadvantage in terms of product development.


Example of Self Actualization Needs

A very evident example of self actualization needs is explained by discussing Dr. Albert Einstein, who was named as one of the few people by Maslow himself, as a person who had achieved the state of self actualization. We can now state that the need to become the bets version of oneself whilst doing good for humanity. The need to do more than what you are doing and to do better than what you are doing.

If we take the example of Apple, and take a look at their journey. All they have been trying to do is to better the customer experience since their inception. In all the ways they have been trying to is to satisfy self actualization needs.

Hence, this concludes the definition of Self Actualization Needs along with its overview.

This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

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