Harmonizing Inner Self and Outward Expression Through Personal Style to Facilitate Self-Actualization and Self-Transcendence

Eileen Wiediger

Independent Researcher

To what extent does developing alignment between our inner selves and outward expression of personal style contribute to both self-actualization and even further to transcendence of self? Abraham Maslow’s seminal work on the hierarchy of needs, introduced in 1943 and later expanded in the 1970s, supplies the theoretical foundation for this paper. Maslow’s original model identifies self-actualization as the pinnacle of human development, representing the pursuit of self-fulfillment and the realization of one’s fullest potential.  In The Farther Reaches of Human Nature (1971), Maslow goes beyond self-actualization with the additions of cognitive needs, aesthetic needs, and self-transcendence, which is described as human consciousness at its most inclusive and holistic level.

This autoethnographic exploration seeks to determine the potential for individuals to achieve higher levels of self-actualization and create a foundation from which to transcend self by intentionally aligning self-identity with self-expression through personal style. Drawing inspiration from Maslow’s expanded hierarchy, with a specific focus on aesthetic needs, this hypothesis posits that conscious efforts to strengthening one’s self-identity and expressing one’s true self through personal style not only leads to self-actualization, but also fosters a profound sense of fulfillment and purpose extending beyond the individual characteristic of self-transcendence. This study aims to shed light on the transformative power of harmonizing inner authenticity with outward expression, as guided by Maslow’s enduring insights into human psychological development.

This paper was presented in July 2024 at the International Possibility Studies Conference University of Cambridge UK