Maslow’s 10 tips on helping others reach self-actualization
Maslow believed that educators should respond to the potential an individual has for growing into a self actualized being. He recommends ways education can switch from its usual person-stunting tactics to person-growing approaches. Imagine if we were all taught to recognize our potential from our earliest years, we could achieve just about anything in life.
The following list provides some keys to unlocking potential in us all, and speaks to the educator in all of us.
Maslow’s 10 points that educators should address:
- We should teach people to be authentic, to be aware of their inner selves and to hear their inner-feeling voices.
- We should teach people to transcend their cultural conditioning and become world citizens.
- We should help people discover their vocation in life, their calling, fate or destiny. This is especially focused on finding the right career and the right mate.
- We should teach people that life is precious, that there is joy to be experienced in life, and if people are open to seeing the good and joyous in all kinds of situations, it makes life worth living.
- We must accept the person as he or she is and help the person learn their inner nature. From real knowledge of aptitudes and limitations we can know what to build upon, what potentials are really there.
- We must see that the person’s basic needs are satisfied. This includes safety, belongingness, and esteem needs.
- We should refreshen consciousness, teaching the person to appreciate beauty and the other good things in nature and in living.
- We should teach people that controls are good, and complete abandon is bad. It takes control to improve the quality of life in all areas.
- We should teach people to transcend the trifling problems and grapple with the serious problems in life. These include the problems of injustice, of pain, suffering, and death
- We must teach people to be good choosers. They must be given practice in making good choices.
from Psychology – The Search for Understanding by Janet A. Simons, Donald B. Irwin and Beverly A. Drinnien West Publishing Company, New York, 1987