American psychologist Abraham Maslow’s well-known hierarchy of needs theory, first proposed in 1943, positions self-actualisation at the apex of human motivation and flourishing. According to Maslow, it is only after an individual’s basic physiological needs are met – along with the need for safety, love and esteem – that they can go on to achieve their fullest human potential, finding meaning and purpose in their lives.
“What a man can be, he must be,” Maslow states, on his way to explaining that the specific shape this self-actualisation takes will “vary greatly from person to person”.
