In fact Abraham Maslow, the humanistic psychologist who pioneered the Hierarchy of Human Needs, declared that just two-percent of our population engages in self-actualization. Actualization means we are functional at the top level of the pyramid. Actualization is the realisation of our highest selves and fulfills our purpose for being alive. It is why we live.
Cities, states, countries, and even the planet can actualize too. For instance, the United States has a mandate for its actualization that was conceived and authored by our founding fathers. The Constitution and Bill of Rights is America's crown on the pyramid.
Does not our nation owe it to the rest of the world to function by the Rule of Law while providing protection and encouragement for the individual to engage in self-actualization? Our nation must lead by example.
Indiana is well situated to lead the nation by example, provided power is held in wise hands. America, if true to her constitution, is well situated to lead the globe on the quest for actualization, the ultimate expression of freedom.
The lower needs of the physical, food, clothing, and shelter are life's foundation and must be met in order to advance. The threat of losing one's home to a feudal-like property tax system enforced by a government empowered to seize our homes, critically jeapordizes the climb to actualization. In fact, it creates a toxic and dysfunctional environment.
The next level of the lower needs is safety. Safety requires humans have access secure homes with reasonable and non-obtrusive physical protection by the government.
Things get more challenging at the higher levels of needs. The esteem needs are where most of us get stuck and stay stuck. Esteem has two heads: respect for self and respect for others.
Respect for self means that we live true to who we are as unique individuals. That means we do not pretend to be someone we are not, because when we do, we neither respect ourselves or others. It is not a sign of honor to project a false self to the world.
We respect others by living our unique truths. This is more easily accomplished in a climate free of religion in government, since persons who embrace many valid spiritual truths comprise our society.
Are individuals safe and free to pursue mastery of the higher needs if we fear our physical needs are compromised by dysfunctional government that misses the mark by failing to faithfully follow its constitutional blueprint?
Are our elected leaders who give oath to serve their citizenship, subservient if they do not function in the light of our constitution?
In order for our state to actualize according to its purpose, our politicians must live by Rule of Law. In order for her citizens to self-actualize, the lower levels of physical and safety needs must be protected and secure.
Individuals must also be guaranteed freedom of self-expression to master the esteem needs. This means our government's authority is given no power to interfere in our personal lifestyle choices, unless our choices cause direct and measureable harm to others.
Only when we are secure to live true to ourselves as individuals, society and nation, do we acquire the means by which we can experience self-actualization.
2 comments:
Good piece of writing! It was Maslow, by the way, who advised Kinsey that his statistics were junk. Too bad for America that Kinsey, the non scientist, and the dopey journalists, also non scientists, ignored Maslow's (a real scientist)pointed and accurate commentary.
Thanks. My Mission is to advance actualization of the individual. My life's work is to help more than 2% of the population to actualize.
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