- According to Carl Rogers, every individual has a tendency to actualize himself.
- Rogers also asserted that mentally healthy individuals have congruence between their experience and their selfconcept while neurotic individuals deny awareness of their sensory and emotional experience.
- Two important concepts related to Roger’s theory are the real self and the ideal self.
- The real self (self-image) is what we actually are while the ideal self is what we want to be. The real self is our inner personality while the ideal self represents our dynamic ambitions and goals.
- The real self has a tendency to actualize himself. But the ideal self may consist of some goals which are beyond our reach. This may result in the gap between the real self and the ideal self.
- High congruence between the real self and ideal self leads to a greater sense of self-worth and healthy productive life while a large gap or incongruence between them leads to maladjustment.
- By trying to achieve our full potential, we strive to be fully functioning individuals, i.e., achieve selfactualization.
- Self-actualization means recognizing and exploring one’s full potential. People who achieve self-actualization are well-balanced, well-adjusted, and interesting.
Congruent
The self-image is similar to the ideal self. There is more overlap. This person can self-actualize.
Incongruent
The self-image is different from the ideal self. There is only a little overlap. Here self-actualization will be difficult.
