The True Nature of Self-Actualization:Misunderstandings in Maslow’s Theory and the Biological Meaning Beneath It

Introduction: Why Self-Actualization Matters Now

When you hear the word self-actualization, what comes to mind?

Climbing the corporate ladder?
Becoming financially successful?
Building a business and living freely on your own terms?

These images are common, yet they often miss the deeper truth.
Much of what the modern world associates with “self-actualization” comes from
misinterpretations and overly simplified readings of Abraham Maslow’s theory.

In this article, we will trace the origin of the concept, clear up widespread misconceptions, and reconstruct the meaning of self-actualization from both biological and psychological perspectives.
Not merely as a dictionary definition—but as a lens through which you can rethink the direction of your life.

Chapter 1: Before Maslow — The Original Birth of Self-Actualization

The True Pioneer: Kurt Goldstein

Most people assume “self-actualization” began with Maslow.
But long before him, the concept was introduced by Kurt Goldstein (1878–1965), a German neurologist.

During World War I, Goldstein treated soldiers who had suffered severe brain injuries.
He noticed a pattern: even when damaged, the human organism showed a powerful tendency to restore its original functioning.

From this, he defined self-actualization as:

“The organism’s inherent drive to realize its full potential.”

A Biological Force, Not a Psychological Goal

The core of Goldstein’s theory is this:

Self-actualization is not primarily a psychological aspiration.
It is a biological tendency.

Just as plants naturally grow toward sunlight,
just as injured tissue instinctively tries to repair itself,

Self-actualization is the organism striving to become what it already is.

In other words:

Self-actualization is not about becoming someone.
It is about returning to one’s inherent nature.

Chapter 2: Maslow’s Revolution — And the Misunderstandings It Created

What Maslow Intended With the Five Needs

Abraham Maslow (1908–1970) integrated Goldstein’s idea into human motivation and proposed the well-known:

“Hierarchy of Needs.”

1. Physiological needs

2. Safety needs

3. Love and belonging

4. Esteem

5. Self-actualization

The model spread globally because it was easy to visualize.
But that simplicity also created two major misunderstandings.

Misunderstanding 1: “Higher levels are morally superior.”

Many people assume:

“You must satisfy level 1 → then level 2 → then level 3…
until finally you reach self-actualization.”

Maslow himself later corrected this.

He emphasized:

• Needs don’t always appear in order

• Multiple needs can coexist

• People often pursue art, meaning, or creativity even in poverty or danger

History is full of poets, musicians, and revolutionaries who lived in deprivation
yet fiercely pursued meaning and expression.

Misunderstanding 2: “Success = self-actualization”

Modern culture often equates self-actualization with:

• Career achievement

• Financial success

• Social recognition

But in Maslow’s framework, these belong to esteem needs—not self-actualization.

True self-actualization is:

An inner growth impulse that transcends external validation.

Chapter 3: Deficiency Motivation vs. Growth Motivation

Maslow later separated human motivation into two categories:

Deficiency Motivation (D-motivation)

Acting from lack, fear, insecurity, or unmet needs.
Applies to levels 1–4.

Growth Motivation (B-motivation)

Acting from fullness, curiosity, meaning, and expansion.
This is self-actualization.

Ask yourself: Why do you want what you want?

• If you want more income— is it fear-driven or curiosity-driven?

• If you want recognition— is it insecurity or contribution?

Deficiency-based desires fade once satisfied.
Growth-based desires deepen the more they are fulfilled.

Self-actualization belongs to the latter.

It is the desire to expand simply because you are alive.

Chapter 4: The Sixth Level — Self-Transcendence

Maslow eventually extended his model beyond five levels and introduced:

Self-transcendence.

If self-actualization is maximizing your own potential,
self-transcendence is:

Using that potential in service of something greater than yourself.

At this stage, the personal “I” softens.
Questions shift from:

• “How can I grow?”
  to

• “What can my growth give back to the world?”

Maslow believed very few people reach this stage—
not because it’s exclusive,
but because it requires deep awareness and honesty.

Chapter 5: Why “Self-Actualization” Feels Different in Japan

Maslow’s theory was born in a highly individualistic culture.
In contrast, Japanese and East Asian cultures hold a relational view of self:

• Identity emerges through relationships

• Meaning is found in fulfilling a role

• “The Way (道)” is pursued by refining self in service of something

Western self-actualization = expanding self
Eastern self-actualization = refining self by shedding ego

Both ultimately point to:

Living in alignment with one’s authentic nature.

The discomfort many Japanese people feel toward “self-actualization”
is rooted in these cultural differences—not personal inadequacy.

Chapter 6: How to Practice Self-Actualization

Step 1: Distinguish “Deficiency” vs “Growth” Motivation

Ask:

• Is this desire coming from fear?

• Or from curiosity, fullness, possibility?

Self-actualization cannot grow from chronic fear.

Step 2: Don’t search for your “true self”—uncover it

Your inherent nature reveals itself when you look at:

• What you do without being asked

• What you loved as a child

• What you’d still do even if no one praised you

• Where you naturally lose track of time

These are biological signals, not random interests.

Step 3: Experiment constantly

Self-actualization is not a grand leap.
It is a series of micro-choices.

• One hour a week doing something that lights you up

• One action that isn’t shaped by others’ expectations

• One small risk toward something meaningful

These micro-acts slowly shift your identity toward authenticity.

Step 4: Hold the perspective of self-transcendence

Even if faintly, ask:

“Who might benefit from my growth someday?”

This subtly transforms your path from self-centered to generative.
It makes the journey sustainable and meaningful.

Chapter 7: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Is self-actualization only for talented people?

No. Maslow explicitly said everyone has the potential.
Society, trauma, and fear simply bury it.

Q2: Isn’t self-actualization selfish?

No. According to Maslow,
self-actualized individuals naturally become more empathetic, generous, and socially responsible.

Q3: Do you need a stable life first?

Not always.
Lower needs don’t need perfect fulfilment for growth motivation to arise.

Q4: Does self-actualization require a dream job?

Not necessarily.
It can appear in hobbies, relationships, learning, creativity—any domain of life.

Conclusion: Self-Actualization Is Not About Becoming — It Is About Being

Self-actualization is not a destination.
It is the act of returning to your authentic nature.

As Maslow said:

Self-actualized people live not in “Becoming,” but in “Being.”

It is found in:

• Choosing what you truly want rather than what is expected

• Listening to your inner voice instead of external approval

• Taking steps that align with your truth, even when they’re scary

Self-actualization is the path of
coming back home to yourself.

And beyond that path lies self-transcendence—
the moment when your life begins to touch something larger.

My Interpretation

I misunderstood the concept of self-actualization for many years.
That is why this article is intentionally more neutral and academic than usual.
I wanted accuracy—not personal opinion—so most of it is based strictly on source texts.

But before closing, here is my personal reflection.

If I express the essence of self-actualization in one sentence, it would be this:

“The answer has always been within you,
and self-actualization is simply the act of following that inner truth.”

I believe everyone already knows this at some deep, instinctive level.
We simply lose that voice amid fear, expectations, and noise.

This is why it is so important to
gently hold each emotion that rises within you and ask what it is trying to teach you.

That practice itself.Honesty, awareness, and returning to your inner truth is the heart of self-actualization.

It is not reserved for the gifted.It begins in everyday moments,with simple acts of choosing yourself.

That is the realization this exploration gave me.