For those elderly that have reached self actualization- the ability to reach one

Question

For those elderly that have reached self actualization- the ability to reach one’s full potential or to actualize as much as possible the capacities of that individual in the world- aging is much more positive for them. They have satisfied all the lower levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and focus solely on things like creativity, purpose and happiness.

These individuals are characterized by having similar traits, philosophies and positive mental health about themselves. The self-actualized see the process of aging as normal and therefore have a more meaningful and positive quality of life.

As a society, how can we ensure that more older adults experience self-actualization during this stage of their life?

Explanation / Answer

The theory of need hierarchy by Abraham Maslow, defines the development that occurs by fulfilment of needs, theses needs co-related with each other and one need help to satisfy another.

Maslow described that the natural needs like hunger, thirst, sex and sleep are most prominent for any human or non-human, but the humans look forward to fulfil other needs while animals satisfy primary needs.

Humans are creative animals, they can think, analyse, interpret and generalise knowledge and information, and at the top of the hierarchy pyramid we can see the need of self-actualization, a process or logic in which we want to know what we are, why we live and other philosophical questions.

Self-Actualization- When we fulfil our most of needs, we think about reasons, ideals and motives to be a human, the need of self-actualization belongs to understanding of life, art of living, happiness and anger, for this purpose we need experiences so that the need of self-actualization is called the need of old person. By the experience we can determine the real world and ideal world, we can think beyond the life.

Maslow describe this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be.

As a society, we have responsibility to care about older adults and their needs, we can work for fulfilment of all needs that are necessary, if we help the older age people to satisfy physical, psychological and security need, we can help them to fulfil the need of self-actualization.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse F
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.