Attachment Theory of Motivation
31 order to fulfil esteem needs, people need to feel that they are accepted and valued
by their society. When esteem needs have been fulfilled, people will move to the higher stage of needs, which are cognitive needs. People tend to seek new
knowledge and meaning in life in order to fulfill cognitive needs. Educated people will also develop their knowledge and gain more knowledge until their needs are
met. When people already have much knowledge and gain meaning in this life, people will seek to fulfill their aesthetic needs. People need to see the beauty of
this world. People are said to have met the aesthetic needs when they can appreciate the beauty, balance and form in their life.
After aesthetic needs have been met, people will seek to fulfill their self- actualization needs.
In self-actualization, people need to find a meaning of life that is important to them.
It includes how people realize their personal potential, self-fulfillment, seek their personal growth, and have peak experiences. Peak
experiences occur when a person experiences the world totally for what it is, and there are feelings of euphoria, joy and wonder. As each individual is unique, the
motivation for fulfilling self-actualization also leads people to different directions Kenrick et al., 2010. Some people need to write a book in order to achieve self-
actualization, while other people will do different things. As in this study, the three main characters are trying to write a book which tells about the experiences
of colored maids working for white families. They are trying to achieve their self- actualization. When self-actualization are met, people will seek to fulfill the last
stage of Maslow’s needs hierarchy, the transcendence needs. People will go to their society and help people to achieve their self-actualization.
32 Even though the theory said that all people are capable of fulfilling self-
actualization, most people will not be able to do so, or only to a limited degree. Maslow as cited in McLeod, 2007 stated that only two percent of people in this
world would reach the stage of self-actualization. Then he identified fifteen characteristics of self-actualized people after studying eighteen people, including
Abrahan Lincoln and Albert Einstein. The characteristics of self-actualizer are able to
perceive reality efficiently and to tolerate uncertainty, accept themselves and others for what they are, spontaneous in thoughts and actions, become a
problem-centered people, have unusual sense of humor, able to look at life objectively, highly creative, resistant to enculturation, concerned for the welfare
of humanity, capable of deep appreciation of basic life-experience, establish deep satisfying interpersonal relationships with a few people, undergo peak experiences,
have privacy, possess democratic attitudes and strong moral and ethical standards.