self actualization is merely the ego going berserk?

[StateOfMind]

By self actualization/self development i mean self not Self with a capital S, whatever that mans.
 

Edited January 14, 2021 by StateOfMind
/self development

[The_Alchemist]

Define ego, define self actualization.

[Gesundheit]

No. It's the exact opposite.

[Eph75]

Self-development is general, and self-actualization is more specific, later stage of development.

The need for change comes from a need and desire or deficit to meet that creates that incentive to change, for whatever reason, to gain, to improve or to remove something, and that need comes from the ego, so yes, in terms of need to self-develop. 

The developmental journey constructs the ego and later on transmutes into decontruction of ego. Self-actualization is still driven by ego, into self-transcendence where it's not.

So question is where on that developmental progression line you refer to - the answer will be different. 

One could actually say that the break-point between construction and decontruction of ego is defined by the point where ego has gotten too strong, or "gone berserk", and it causes us to shift into needing that deconstruction. 

Edited January 14, 2021 by Eph75

[mmKay]

@StateOfMind nope. It's embeded in the human nature. Check out Maslows hierarchy of needs and contemplate how it reflects your life. 

If you observe your actual experience without distractions, it's literally this way. You sh1t, eat, drink, breathe. You strive for a home, some friends, some sexual intimacy, a career, a meaning in life, then creative expression, contribution and self actualization and possibly self-transcendence.

You can use this model to ground you every time you feel you are disconnected from the process of developing yourself, as in " okay, what is the most " urgent " thing to be working at for my precise situation and circumstances at life?

Ofc every life is nuanced and different, but there is an overarching similarity in the psychology of human being's needs.

And if you don't belive me, test it for yourself.

Stop doing everything. stop going to school, stop going to work, stop working out, stop reading, stop eating healthy. The fact is that you will still be alive, and breathing. And boredoom will kick in, and you will get drawn towards certain activities, in a certain order / priority. 

 

See how you evolve over the years back climbing Maslow's Pyramid.

Edit : it would be also usefull if you explained yourself better when asking such questions

Edited January 14, 2021 by mmKay

[StateOfMind]

46 minutes ago, Gesundheit said:

No. It's the exact opposite.

you think that YOU are developing yourself, but that YOU it isn't actually you, it's just ego, so how is it the opposite?

36 minutes ago, Eph75 said:

The developmental journey constructs the ego and later on transmutes into decontruction of ego. Self-actualization is still driven by ego, into self-transcendence where it's not.

I agree completely, it like ego going to it's own death by trying to prove to the world how spiritual it can be, "oh i'm so spiritual i meditate everyday for 20 minutes...", "I" feel so grounded... it's all me me me.

but what i'm still struggling with is that if reality is all infinite perspectives, don't you think that saying that is a perspective in it of itself.

so why would that be true and not something else?

50 minutes ago, mmKay said:

Edit : it would be also usefull if you explained yourself better when asking such questions

It's very hard to talk about these things cuz you have to jump from dualism to non-dualism.

[mmKay]

@StateOfMind yes but you definately can explain what your quesion is better. You didn't realy try to specify what you are unclear about. My suggestion would be to clarify to yourself what the question exactly is and then give a  longer explanation of what is it that you are exactly trying to understand.

[Gesundheit]

Going berserk is a @StateOfMind

Self-Actualization/self-development is not.

[SamC]

18 hours ago, StateOfMind said:

By self actualization/self development i mean self not Self with a capital S, whatever that mans.
 

@StateOfMind It's a paradox. In one way it is, but in another way it is not. There is nothing wrong with wanting to develop your ego - thinking this is in itself ego and fear. Ego is not bad - only ego makes it so

Here is the thing though, self improvement often means, I need X cause otherwise Y Z or Q will happen which litterly is based on fear. The same goes with the thought- I shouldn't develop myself cause that's ego or self actualization is ego.

Instead of this approach I belive that one should strive towards what we want to do, not what we don't want to do or have. This is the real definition of self actualization/ self transcendence for me.

And this does not soly mean doing things to get something, but also accepting ourselves, our emotions and our desires as they are. For if we repress it, that will not be loving towards ourselves. ( note if you repress something, than that's what you should strive to love)

If you repress your desires cause you're afraid of it being ego, is that love?

 

Edited January 15, 2021 by SamC

[martins name]

Self actualization is what is happening. Egoism/suffering is being attached to it. You don't have to be, but if you are trying to actualize hate, anger or self-agrandizment egoism it Will bring karma which brings egotism and suffering.

 

[Nahm]

@StateOfMind

One easy way to ‘pull the rug out from under’ one’s own attachments is to acknowledge anything attributed to the ego. Then physically point to the ego it is being attributed to.