self-fulfillment
noun
Self-fulfillment — the realization of one's own deepest capacities and potential
Definition
The fulfillment of your capacities
In depth
Self-fulfillment is the fulfillment of one's own capacities, the deep satisfaction that comes from developing and actualizing one's innate potential, talents, or sense of purpose. The word carries significant weight in psychological and philosophical writing, often distinguished from mere external success or achievement, emphasizing instead an internal, authentic completeness.
Origin
The word combines 'self' with 'fulfillment,' from Old English fullfyllan, to fill completely. Its psychological prominence grew substantially through twentieth-century humanistic psychology, particularly the work of theorists like Abraham Maslow, whose concept of self-actualization placed the fulfillment of one's own unique potential at the very peak of human motivation and need.
Usage examples
"She had given up a far more lucrative career in pursuit of something closer to genuine self-fulfillment."
"Psychologists have long debated whether self-fulfillment is best achieved through individual pursuit or through deep connection with others."
"His search for self-fulfillment took him down paths his family had never expected, and rarely understood."
How to use it
Self-fulfillment is common in psychological, motivational, and philosophical writing, particularly prominent in discussions of personal growth and meaning, distinct from external markers of success like wealth or status.
Related concepts
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