Self-Actualizers Trait Number One:
“Efficent Perception Of Reality. Perhaps the most universal characteristic of these superior people is their unusual ability to perceive other people correctly and efficiently, to see reality as it is, rather than as they wish it to be. They have a better perception of reality and more comfortable relations with it. They are less emotional and more objective about their perceptions; they do not allow their desires and hopes to distort their observations. Because of their superior perception, self-actualizing people are more readily able to detect the fake, the phony and the dishonest in others. Maslow discvoered that this ability to see more efficiently extended to many other areas of life, including art, music, science, politics and philosophy. For example; an informal survey indicated that self-actualizers are more accurate in their predictions of future events. Self actualizers are really “with it” in a profound sense; they are realists. The self-actualizer isable to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainity more easily than others. She is generally unthreatened and unfrightened by the unknown. She accepts it, is comfortable with it and often is even more attracted by it than the known.”
Previous Posts On Self-Actualizing
Abraham Maslow’s Self-Actualizing Traits
Tags: Abraham Maslow, Davidi Williams, Gods Of Football, Self-Actualizer, self-actualizing traits
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mmmm, self actualised indeed! i think thats my favourite, erm, quote, yet.
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I didn’t realize the Gods of Football had golden balls.
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Bahahahaha
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there is only reality and fantasy – the hard part is telling them apart
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oh, this is stirring a ‘but what IS reality’ debate in my head….
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Ah yes well i am very efficiently perceiving his reality, thank you.
Is it just me but does saturn in libra feel a bit more relaxed, less pressured already? -
I was enjoying a slow, tantalising scroll down our man up there, but dang! Baggy white shorts? Please Saturn in Libra make them go away from all sporting mens uniforms, they aren’t good!
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Please don’t tell me you prefer Warwick Capper’s peek-a-boo cheek freezers.
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Don’t really mind what he’s got on, just glad he got rid of the shaggy beard!
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toro? what toro? what a fabulous pic to start the weekend xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Shorts? I thought those were his boxers…
“The self-actualizer is able to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainity more easily than others.”
Those are by far the nicest people to be around. People who see everything in absolutes get so darned threatened by ambiguity… & then try to fit everything into neat little boxes where they don’t really fit… and then impose those boxes on other people… and misery & injustice ensue. -
whats so bad about the white shorts/boxers? its the knee high sox that crack me up!! mega-lolz
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HOW can I self-actualize this man Here NOW SOON??? Holy Mackarel Batman, he hot enough to make shorts only my 86 yr old dad would wear look well..promising.
Let’s see, he rugby player half way round the world therefore I realistically perceive it won’t happen. Cue hiring Madame Vivian’s fantasy service.. ya?
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He could wear a pink frilly apron and fluffy mules for all I care.
Maslow who?
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I’m tuning in kind of late and am assuming that these self-actualizing posts are here to provoke debate (which I love – I did a philosophy major at uni). As such they are very hard to decipher. What on earth could ‘an unusual ability to perceive other people correctly and efficiently’ mean? And the ability to ’see more efficiently’ apparently extends to even the most subjective of disciplines – art, politics and music. What does ‘efficiency’ even mean in this context? And who arbitrates? I just can’t wrap my head around this in either a philosophical or practical sense.
My fundamental question is whether these traits are seen as desirable by Maslow? Does he think they are spiritually desirable? Or philosophically desirable? Or desirable in a practical sense? For navigating one’s way around the world? Because I’d like to know how the self-actualized function in a world of non-self-actualized people? How do they work for, socialize with, carry out intimate relationships with those who fail to perceive efficiently, exhibit anxiety about ambiguity or uncertainty or (heaven forbid) allow their hopes and desires to distort their observations. I guess that the self-actualized can efficiently predict the actions, emotions and psychological states of their fellow travelers. And observe them efficiently. Is this ultimately helpful?
Also, on some level fear of the unknown is desirable. It’s been an integral part of our survival as a species. I know, I’m probably being too literal here – he may simply mean that they are adventurous. Which is a desirable trait. And of course it’s useful to be able see the fake and phony in others – so it has some upsides.
On a personal level, it sounds as though they must frequently be stuck down in the primes of their lives by that debilitating disease, anhedonia (‘realists’ often are) and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t count them amongst my friends.
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You might want to read through the self actualizing traits in the link above, where they list all of them including “belief in the equal nature of human beings, that every individual has a right to say, and that each person has his strengths and each person has his weaknesses.” Plus a whole lot of other social skills and graces, such as deep and meaningful relationships, sensitivity to others, humour, creativity, awareness of their own imperfections…Stuff you don’t learn in a philosophy class.
Maslow provides a list of healthy human behaviours, a definition for being well adjusted, which rules out the anhedonia you speak of. An efficient perception of reality is only one of the traits. I personally find that trait helpful as it allows one to discern bullshit from authenticity, improves one’s decision making ability and allows one to solve problems. It’s antithesis is denial, a psychological condition known to impair problem solving.
As for what philosophers would make of it, who cares? I dropped out of philosophy when I realized how removed from reality it is. That’s why people with personal problems don’t consult philosophers for help. In fact they get as far away from university campuses as they can. If they’re interested in a solution, they’re more likely to seek out someone who possesses a measure of Maslow’s traits rather than a skill for compartmentalizing.
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I’ve read the link and fair play to you!! I should definitely have read them before I wrote!! I feel pretty ripped off that I haven’t met any self-actualized people. I sometimes think I’ve met one and then the more I get to know them, the more subjective they seem. Weirdly enough the last one I knew was a university professor (and I’m really NOT joking here). He was awesome!! But of course, I didn’t know him really well.
I’m sorry that you disliked philosophy though. I did very little classical philosophy which may explain why I did not find it too removed from reality. It was incredibly useful in a practical sense too – it helped me to hone my ability to critically evaluate information, and then construct an argument. I’m an environmentalist and, as you can imagine, this has been invaluable.
I can’t see where I was exhibiting a skill for compartmentalizing.
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Not a bad list, eh?
I count myself lucky that I know quite a few (in varying degrees) and count them as my dearest friends. One even teaches at uni, lol. The traits come more naturally to some than others and as Sweetpea says below, they take time to grow on some. Although, a few of the friends I’ve known since my teens have always been that way (bastards!). The rest of us are in training. I’ve been meaning to print up the list and pin it somewhere as a reminder.
Yeah, philosophy at uni was a big disappointment. And the hairy old dudes teaching it were poster boys for anhedonia! Having said that, I’ve gotten a lot out of Eastern philosophy and Alain de Botton has done heaps to bring philosophy out from crusty academia. Bless his cotton socks.
Don’t mind the compartmentalizing jibe. It was a generalized stab at philosophers. I was being tetchy (Aries moon + Merc in Virgo) over the remark about whether the traits were spiritually, practically or philosophically desirable.
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My exp. is that Self Actualizing trait number one comes with experience and time. My Venus opposition Neptune and Vertex (fated encounters), for example.
All I can say is disillusionment comes before enlightenment and each step of the way will be that way.
Have always felt the unknown to be an adventure because otherwise what’s the purpose to most anything.
Guy in the pix too young. Eh, not interested anyhow…
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Okay, a Leo and THAT LOOK!
I give you that but kinda gross as age of my youngest daughter…
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