fei75766_ch09_271-308.indd 288  02/06/20 12:09 PM
Part III    Humanistic/Existential Theories288
Maslow’s thirdcriterion forself-actualization wastheembracing of the B-values. His
self-actualizing people feltcomfortable withandevendemanded truth, beauty, justice, 
simplicity, humor, andeachoftheother B-values thatwediscuss later.
Thefinalcriterion forreaching self-actualization was“fulluseandexploitation 
oftalents, capacities, potentialities, etc.”(Maslow, 1970, p.150). Inother words, his
self-actualizing individuals fulfilled their needs to grow, to develop, and to increasingly 
become what they were capable of becoming. 
Values of Self-Actualizers
Maslow (1971) heldthatself-actualizing people aremotivated bythe“eternal verities,” 
whathecalled B-values. These “Being” values areindicators ofpsychological health 
andareopposed todeficiency needs, which motivate non-self-actualizers. B-values are
notneeds inthesame sense thatfood, shelter, orcompanionship are.Maslow termed 
B-values as“metaneeds” toindicate thattheyaretheultimate levelofneeds. Hedistin -
guished between ordinary needmotivation andthemotives ofself-actualizing people, 
which hecalled metamotivation.
Metamotivation ischaracterized byexpressive rather thancoping behavior and
isassociated withtheB-values. Itdifferentiates self-actualizing people from those who
arenot.Inother words, metamotivation wasMaslow’s tentative answer totheprob-
lemofwhysome people havetheirlower needs satisfied, arecapable ofgiving and
receiving love,possess agreat amount ofconfidence andself-esteem, andyetfailto
passoverthethreshold toself-actualization. Thelivesofthese people aremeaningless 
andlacking inB-values. Only people wholiveamong theB-values areself-actualizing, 
andtheyalone arecapable ofmetamotivation.
Maslow (1964, 1970) identified 14B-values, buttheexact number isnotimpor -
tantbecause ultimately allbecome one,oratleastallarehighly correlated. Thevalues 
ofself-actualizing people include truth, goodness, beauty, wholeness orthetranscen -
dence of dichotomies, aliveness orspontaneity, uniqueness, perfection, completion, justice 
and order, simplicity, richness ortotality, effortlessness, playfulness orhumor, andself-
sufficiency orautonomy (seeFigure 9.2).
These values distinguish self-actualizing people from those whose psychological 
growth isstunted aftertheyreach esteem needs. Maslow (1970) hypothesized that
when people’s metaneeds arenotmet,theyexperience illness, anexistential illness. 
Allpeople haveaholistic tendency tomove toward completeness ortotality, andwhen 
thismovement isthwarted, theysuffer feelings ofinadequacy, disintegration, and
unfulfillment. Absence oftheB-values leads topathology justassurely aslackoffood
results inmalnutrition. When denied thetruth, people suffer from paranoia; when they
liveinuglysurroundings, theybecome physically ill;without justice andorder, they
experience fearandanxiety; without playfulness andhumor, theybecome stale, rigid, 
andsomber. Deprivation ofanyoftheB-values results inmetapathology, orthelackof
ameaningful philosophy oflife.
Characteristics of Self-Actualizing People
Maslow believed thatallhumans havethepotential forself-actualization. Then why
arewenotallself-actualizing? Tobeself-actualizing, Maslow believed, people must be
regularly satisfied intheirother needs andmust alsoembrace theB-values. Using these Final PDF to printer