Carl rogers
Carl Rogers, one of the foremost humanistic theorists of personality, believed that people are motivated to reach their full potential by self-actualizing themselves. In contrast to many other psychologists, Carl Rogers had the notion that individuals are born innately good and are endowed with self-actualizing tendencies; his belief, nevertheless, was censured by the critics of humanistic approach for being too subjective and vague. In order to self-actualize, one has to feel accepted by people. When viewing my personality test results, Carl Rogers would say that my ideal self-concept of being an outstanding student at school might not have been as nearly alike with the actual self as I hoped to be and therefore, I might have turned out to be a person who attempts to do more than what is required. Overdoing and overachieving might have provided a sense of relief and security because I would feel that I am reaching closer and closer to the ideal self-concept of being an exceptional student. Furthermore, the personality test results stated that I do not reveal my achievements easily to people and Carl Rogers might say that such behavior is caused by the fear that people will not treat me with unconditional positive regard, which is equivalent to total acceptance. In order to resolve the potentially harmful and negative tendencies to overdo things and underestimate my accomplishments, Carl Rogers would recommend those around me (including my family, teachers, counselors, and teachers) to treat me with unconditional positive regard. By feeling accepted by everyone, I would gain higher self-esteem and close the gap between the ideal self and the actual self. Empathy, genuineness, and acceptance are crucial factors that nurture people's growth and thus, Carl Rogers would advise me and others around me to be open with our feelings and act with sincerity. People should be genuine with their feelings, understanding, and accepting to me and I should do the same when treating others.
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow, another prominent humanist, had a similar theory about personality as Carl Rogers. Maslow, who also studied motivation, created the hierarchy of needs, in which self-actualization is at the top. In order to self-actualize, Maslow believed that one has to satisfy the needs of lower levels on the hierarchy and move up. According to Maslow, self-actualized people are self-aware, spontaneous, loving, and caring. They are secure in their sense of identity, have problem-centered interests rather than self-centered ones, and are moved by peak experiences that surpass ordinary consciousness. When Maslow views the results of the personality tests that I took, he would say that I did not self-actualize yet because I tend to hide and underrate my accomplishments, which shows that I do not have full self-esteem or self-confidence. I am probably in between the third and fourth stages because according to the Keirsey personality test, I am loyal to my family and friends (from whom I could attain a sense of love and belonging) and I do have self-esteem because I feel proud of what I achieve. Still, Maslow would say that higher self-esteem and stronger sense of identity are needed in order for me to strive for self-actualization. I believe that I would perhaps be able to become a self-actualized person through interactions with more people and environments in life that will allow me to have a stronger sense of who I am.