27.

Discuss the main propositions of the humanistic approach to personality.

The humanist perspective of personality is rooted in the theoretical approach of Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. The humanistic theorists have indicated that a healthy personality lies in not mere adjustment to society. It involves a quest to know oneself deeply and to be true to one’s own feelings without disguise and to be oneself in the here-and-now. The most important idea proposed by Rogers is that of a fully functioning person. He believes that fulfillment is the motivating force for personality development.

People try to express their potential, talents, and capabilities to the fullest extent possible and according to him, this is inborn in the human. He made two assumptions i.e. the behavior is goal-directed and worthwhile, and people will always choose the adaptive self-actualizing behavior. Maslow has given a detailed account of psychologically healthy people in terms of their attainment of self-actualization, a state in which people have reached their own fullest potential. Maslow had an optimistic and positive view of a man who has the potentialities for love, joy and to do creative work.