Most psychologists will be familiar with the concept of self-realization from Abraham Maslow . We all know that we should eat, drink or sleep, but once these physiological needs are met, we aspire to other needs of a higher level according to Maslow’s Pyramid theory.

At the top of this pyramid are the needs for self-realization: the psychological and spiritual needs that make us feel fulfilled. Maslow was the father of humanistic psychology, a psychological current that postulates the existence of a basic human tendency (self-realization) towards mental health and well-being.

The Jonah Complex

Maslow, however, as opposed to self-realization, coined the term ” Jonah Complex ” to refer to the fear of one’s own greatness, the avoidance of one’s own destiny or the flight of one’s best talents.

In researching his concept of self-realization, the humanist psychologist asked himself the following question: If we are born with unlimited potential for self-development, ” why doesn’t everyone achieve the goal of self-realization? “. One of the reasons Maslow puts forward in his book The Farther Reaches of Human Nature published in 1971, is the Jonah Complex.

Who’s Jonah?

The Jonah Complex is inspired by the biblical figure of Jonah, a man who was a merchant and tried to resist God’s call to fulfill an important mission. His destiny was to become a prophet, but his first reaction was to flee, for fear of not living up to it.

Maslow’s explanation for Jonah’s complex is that just as we fear the worst of us, we also fear the best, we fear our maximum possibilities. We are afraid of becoming what we imagine to be, in our best moments, our ideal conditions. We enjoy and even delight in the divine possibilities that we discover in our best moments, but in the same way, we are agitated by the fear or weakness of those same possibilities, perhaps because we do not want to leave the comfort zone .

Leave the comfort zone

Many times it is the fear of leaving the comfort zone that limits us to keep growing or that causes us anxiety. In fact, on many occasions we even prefer the bad to the risk of seeking our self-fulfilment, our well-being. Remaining anchored in the comfort zone, avoiding self-reflection in order to continue growing, can cause us to continue to be anchored to our fears without stepping firmly on the uncertainties.

We already commented in the article “Personal Development: 5 reasons for self-reflection” that living constantly from our desires and unfulfilled wishes, without betting on them, generates low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, social withdrawal, low assertiveness, constant stress and anxiety, psychosomatic problems and poor emotional well-being.

Unlocking to move towards success

Although reflection on personal development may seem easy at first glance, many people turn to professional coaching in order to unblock themselves. The coach, as a facilitator of personal development, gets the client to reflect through Socratic questions, allowing the client to continue growing as a person. The coach helps to connect with desires and emotions, encouraging self-realization and allowing one to reach the place where one wants to be.

In short, life drives us to follow the path to self-realization . Throughout our experiences, we encounter various difficulties that prevent us from looking clearly into the future, and that generate fears, insecurities and make us feel lost. Some wait and hope that everything will pass and fit again on its own , others pursue again and again that which makes them feel alive , that which makes them feel good. It is the best way to abandon pessimism or bad habits that make us not achieve the goals we set ourselves.