Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Quotations of Maslow



“If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you'll be unhappy for the rest of your life.” Abraham Maslow

This quote is quite self explanatory. If one does less than one is capable of, they will never reach their potential. Through Maslow, that person will never reach self-actualization because he/she will attempt to limit his/her self. Thus if one limits themselves from self-actualization, he/she will never be happy, from Maslow’s theory.


“One's only rival is one's own potentialities. One's only failure is failing to live up to one's own possibilities. In this sense, every man can be a king, and must therefore be treated like a king.” Abraham Maslow

This is a replication of the previous quote but with different wording. However, this quote too carries great impact. This quote too teaches you to step over your limit. Using my life as example, when I started playing kendo, I thought doing 100 swings was lethal. However, in forcing myself to step over that limit, today I can do over 1000 swings in one turn.


What a man can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization.” Abraham Maslow

This has a very strong impact. If a nuclear physicist like Albert Einstein was forced to be a janitor, he wouldn’t discover the theory of relativity. Moreover, if being a janitor was not what he wanted, he will never be happy. Thus the will never self-actualize. Thus the theory of relativity will never be invented.


What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.” Abraham Maslow

No one can change another person physically. Thus the only way one can change, is to change his own viewpoint of himself and the world. Thus it is in the individuals who can themselves.


“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.”Abraham Maslow

One must be what one loves, otherwise they will be unhappy. This is because we are not self-actualizing by not doing the things that we love. Thus one must do what one loves to achieve an ultimate peace with his/herself.

SOURCE: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/abraham_maslow.html

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