Speak Yourself Into Self-Actualization
Why do we live? How are humans meant to spend the short amount of borrowed time we were given on this earth? I remember studying a theory in psychology class, that after fulfilling basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing, humans are set on chasing after more abstract needs. Things like safety, care, and love. This was shown in Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs. At the very top of the pyramid is self-actualization, which is the state of realizing one’s full potential.
Abraham Maslow said that “What man can be, he must be.” And hearing RM’s UN speech reminded me of that. Setting an example of himself, he said that he embraced himself and strived to accept himself by speaking out both his failures and achievements. To be able to reach your potential, you must first understand what drives you. After understanding what sparks passion in your heart, you manifest that into the world. Mistakes and setbacks happen, but they’re just obstacles you must hurdle over to reach your end goal.
I believe that’s exactly what BTS have done; they have realized their purpose — which is to make music. And they kept on making music despite what the world said about them, and to them. This persistence and resilience, enabled them to influence a lot of people in a positive way. They continue to attract people to their music because they are not proud, but are continually grateful.
Here are some of BTS’ experiences and traits that I was able to compare to Maslow’s description of people who have reached self-actualization:
ACCEPTANCE (self, others, nature)
BTS seems to have freed themselves from shame, guilt, and/or anxiety in lieu of living their daily lives with an open heart and open mind. They understand that life is not perfect, and unpleasant situations can result from their actions despite their best intentions. But they are not shaken, and they do not blame. They are not completely devoid of these negative emotions, but they can keep it at a minimum, choosing to accept them as part of the scenery they have to walk through, instead of a villain they have to cower under. Think of this quote: “One does not complain about water because it is wet, or about rocks because they are hard, or about trees because they are green.”
Jimin once shared on his Vlive how he composed his song Promise. He shared that there was a time when he was in such a dark place so he meant to make a dark song. But eventually, he and the members overcame some troubles and found themselves in a better place, so his song Promise became a song of encouragement. “Even if life makes things difficult, I won’t make things difficult for myself. I won’t insult myself.” In their journey from rookies to worldwide superstars, BTS have learned to accept all parts of themselves, and that’s how they are able to continue to move forward.
SPONTANEITY; SIMPLICITY; NATURALNESS
BTS is made up of people who think outside of the box. Less impulsive in action but more spontaneous and creative in thought. The members are people who are natural and whose actions are not made to deliberately impress others. They also have an open-minded acceptance of the differences in people. So when people disagree with them, they choose to shrug it off and ignore, instead of fight over it. Because of their spontaneity, they are sometimes viewed as those who like to break the rules. But again, they do it because they are not limited by conventionality and they have their own way of understanding and working things out.
BTS has been known to be creative in bringing forth their music and art. Their consequent albums have shown the story of the growth of a teenager; from establishing a dream, to falling in love, to experiencing a heartbreak, to accepting themselves, loving themselves, and reaching for their dreams. In the promotion of Map Of The Soul: 7, they — and their company, Big Hit Entertainment — have shown further innovation. They launched ConnectBTS, collaborated with dance groups from different countries, and released a large-scale music video with visual effects that could rival Game of Thrones. There was even a map that plotted the course of their comeback activities; the likes of which the world had not seen in music promotion before.
PROBLEM CENTERING
Self-actualized people are pulled towards the agenda of pursuing the greater good. They have a wider range of vision that encompasses farther than their personal wants and needs. They involve themselves in problems not centred on themselves, but rather, problems that involve all of humankind.
Music and Artist for Healing. This is Bighit Entertainment’s mission statement, and BTS has been staying true to this agenda. The group has continuously used its influence to call out social issues. Their Love Myself Campaign with UNICEF aims to end violence towards children and teens around the world. Even their advertisement with Hyundai promotes “sustainable mobility”.
QUALITY OF DETACHMENT
BTS seem to have a high amount of resilience. They are not easily embarrassed, and they do not easily panic. They are calm and somewhat aloof. Their objectivity allows them to analyze every situation with a cool head, focused more on the solution, rather than the reactions gained from a certain situation. This could make them appear snobbish or unfriendly.
In Suga’s livestream on December 2019, he shared to one ARMY who was stressing about studies. “If you end up getting the results that you don’t want, you might think that your entire world is falling apart. But it’s not. Life isn’t all about studies.” Suga has expressed the same sentiments about studying a few times already. And we know that he is not devaluing education. Rather, his response can be seen as breaking away from the commonly perpetuated belief that a college degree is what one needs to be a successful adult. A college degree can certainly assist people on their career journies, but it is not the only path towards success and happiness.
CONTINUED FRESHNESS OF APPRECIATION
Maybe borne out of their curiosity, these people have an appreciation of things that they have seen a thousand times over. Every plane ride may inspire equal levels of wonder when seeing clouds outside the windows, every first note of that classical piece arouses the same excitement, every happy moment seems like the first time, every time.
In a show where j-hope mentored aspiring idols, he was asked how he is able to deliver emotions while performing and he shared, “I think it is your sincerity. I really love this job, I love this stage, I love singing, I love dancing. This sincerity is delivered when I perform. I believe that if I love my job professionally and earnestly, my heart will be conveyed well. And I will be able to give joy and happiness to many people.” This principle is demonstrated in BTS’ performances to audiences around the world. They are always going “all-out” because they value every moment they get to stand in front of their fans.
THE PEAK EXPERIENCE
These are moments of extreme emotions brought about by one or few of the characteristics mentioned above. It can be that “Eureka” moment of finally realizing something great, a moment of enlightenment that brings a person into a higher level of awareness.
In the ending segment of The Most Beautiful Moment in Life concert, RM said, “Happiness is not something that you have to achieve, you can still feel happy during the process of achieving something.” To a person who is struggling to achieve something, these words surely instil comfort. BTS can be a voice of hope for people who find themselves stuck. Getting the trophy after winning the game is not half as satisfying as it would be, without endless hours of practice and training. Every step you have taken to reach your goal, all of it combined, that is the peak experience.
What season are you in right now? Maybe BTS’ path towards self-actualization will help you figure out what you really want to do. Don’t be scared to try new things. Don’t be discouraged when you fail. Continue to make yourself heard in your work, your art, your music, your poetry, your games, your creation — in whatever it is that makes your heart sing. It’s all part of a beautiful adventure. Go on and speak yourself, we will all be here to listen.
REFERENCES
Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper & Row.
Bruner, R. (2018, March 02).
J-hope of K-Pop Sensation BTS Discusses His New Solo Mixtape. Retrieved May 04, 2020, from https://time.com/5181183/j-hope-bts-hope-world-interview/
Special thanks to all the translators on Twitter!
