How is Jung’s concept of self-realization similar to Rogers’s and Maslow’s concept of self-actualization? Is Peter showing signs of self-actualization according to Rogers? According to Maslow? Explain.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

According to Jung, self-realization involves paying attention to all aspects of our personality and integrating all these aspects. For Maslow, self-actualization motivates people to develop all of their psychological capacities. Peter is trying to develop his capacities in the work world but is running into obstacles. He is also trying to develop his capacities as a father and husband but his work as a letter carrier is interfering. For Rogers, self-actualization is a subsystem of the actualizing tendency, which encourages us to actualize the self as perceived; the actualizing tendency is a tendency to move toward completion or fulfillment of potentials. Peter is trying to fulfill his potential in the work world but is being stifled. He is also trying to fulfill his potential as a father and husband. Therefore he is working toward completion although he is having difficulty doing so, as evidenced by the multiple times he has retrained. This is also evidence that he is trying to actualize his perceived self and that his perceived self is similar to his organismic self, but again, considering the economic environment of the town he lives in and his difficulty in juggling the roles of husband, father and employee, he is having difficulty doing so. Part of Peter’s difficulty with actualization comes from conditions of worth: His choices are influenced partly by what other people think of him, for example, what others would think if he chose to become a stay-at-home father.