In this lesson, we will explore the theories of two well-known humanists, Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. This is a constructive tendency present in all living things, and while it can be suppressed, it cannot be destroyed without destroying the organism. According to Rogers, it is the only motivation needed to explain all human behavior, encompassing the need for survival, creativity, pleasure-seeking, and striving to make the best of our existence. Closely related to actualizing tendency is the concept of organismic valuing. Positive regard and positive self-regard are two things humans instinctively value.
Positive regard is a term that includes attention, approval, nurture, and love from others.
Rogers referred to these standards as conditions of worth. Since conditions of worth are taught from a young age, they are very powerful. Our self-concept does not necessarily have to be consistent with our real self, which is the person we are when we follow only our actualizing and natural tendencies, not conditions of worth. The disparity between our real self and ideal self is called incongruity. When a person has high incongruity, it leads to confusion, tension, and maladaptive behavior.