Cognitive Dissonance

What do you do to cope?

Sorry folks for another few days of hiatus. We’re planning to start new process groups to accommodate the influx of clients and get around a few road blocks the insurance companies are hitting us with. I’m drowning in paperwork, but so happy with our attendance rates and how much the clients are enjoying the programs. Some of them will honestly never be fully functioning, but just to know that I’ve been able to make them happy for at least one more day is what keeps me going.

So stayed tuned for new posts and in the meantime always feel free to ask questions, share a story, or just send some love/hate my way.

What would you try if you had no fear?

This need deals with making your potential a reality through personal growth and development by following one’s own passions and interests. This need strongly involves proper self-expression and the search for identity and the meaning of life.

Without self-actualization a person can suffer from feelings of restlessness, boredom, meaninglessness, listlessness, and a lack of excitement for life. A person without self-actualization will tend to avoid opportunities for further growth and development.

However, by achieving self-actualization an individual will grow and develop towards their higher value, desire to make unselfish contributions, have a strong sense of identity, and think independently.

All humans have a need to be respected and to have self-esteem and self-respect. Esteem presents the normal human desire to be accepted and valued by others. People need to engage themselves to gain recognition and have an activity or activities that give the person a sense of contribution, to feel self-valued, be it in a profession or hobby. Imbalances at this level can result in low self-esteem or an inferiority complex. People with low self-esteem need respect from others. They may seek fame or glory, which again depends on others. Note, however, that many people with low self-esteem will not be able to improve their view of themselves simply by receiving fame, respect, and glory externally, but must first accept themselves internally. Psychological imbalances such as depression can also prevent one from obtaining self-esteem on both levels.

Most people have a need for a stable self-respect and self-esteem. Maslow noted two versions of esteem needs, a lower one and a higher one. The lower one is the need for the respect of others, the need for status, recognition, fame, prestige, and attention. The higher one is the need for self-respect, the need for strength, competence, mastery, self-confidence, independence and freedom. The latter one ranks higher because it rests more on inner competence won through experience.

Deprivation of these needs can lead to an inferiority complex, weakness, helplessness, fear of criticism, fear of failure and risks, envy, and bitterness.

However, if these needs are met the person achieves self-esteem, self-respect, cooperation, kindness, and readiness to take risks.

This next need involves giving and receiving love and attention. The need for love and belonging involves friends, family, and intimate relationships. Humans are social creatures and not only need to feel like they are cared for, but they also need to have a sense of belonging in society. This need for belonging can often overcome the physiological and security needs, depending on the strength of the peer pressure.

These needs not being met leads to neurotic compensation such as: chronic attention seeking behaviors, shyness and withdrawal, strong conformity to societal norms, and dislike/hostility to “out groups”. Feelings of loneliness, rejection, and rootlessness can also arise.

However, if these needs are met people learn to love themselves and others. They also become trusting of loved ones/other and feel secure enough to give them freedom. The focus shifts now to higher needs.

The next need is safety. These safety needs include physical security, financial security, job security, personal security/stability,etc.

If these are not met, the person can suffer from excessive anxiety, dread, and fight/flight behaviors.

If these needs are met, the person achieves stability and has a sense of security. They can now move to the next level in the hierarchy.

Physiological needs are the largest, most basic, and are the first needs that must be met. These include metabolic requirements necessary for life like: breathing, homeostasis, sleep, food, water, reproduction, etc.

If these needs are not met, intense cravings and urges for basic needs will occur.

If these needs are met, there will be no physiological cravings and you can move onto meeting higher needs.