There are now many self-actualizing people who have dedicated themselves to the improvement of humankind. They have come to recognize the interconnectedness of all things, and how every occurrence influences every other occurrence. Abraham Maslow referred to this group as the "growing tip,".¹...and Marilyn Ferguson has called them the "Aquarian Conspiracy." They represent humankind's best hope for eventual survival. Each self-actualizing person is more altruistic and group-oriented. Each has a more urgent need to give for the benefit of others. Many self-actualizing individuals arrived at this state as a result of a peak experience, but this is not necessarily a requirement. A P.E. definitely facilitates the process of self-actualization, but is not absolutely essential.

Humankind's survival will ultimately be based upon its ability to achieve a more advanced social order. Within the not-too-distant future, if it hasn't already occurred, humankind will develop a weapons technology which could result in the total annihilation of this planet, so that its physical presence ceases to exist. I personally believe that humankind will continue to undergo an evolutionary process that will allow for higher consciousness states and greater enlightenment, and that this in turn will allow us to override our aggressive nature.

The conception of a new world order is not new. However, until recently it has primarily been considered to represent good science fiction. With Abraham Maslow's identification of self-actualizing people, this concept acquires a greater level of respectability and credibility. A brief description of a self-actualizing person would be important to justify the seemingly overly optimistic claim about their ability to provide a basis for a new order. It should also be emphasized that at this moment in time there are far too few in number for a new order to form. There are, however, enough of them to begin the long, slow process toward that end.

In my perception a self-actualizing person is one who values the acquisition of truth above all else, no matter what the source or cost; who is not unduly motivated by personal gain; who repudiates hostility and aggressiveness; who has a great capacity to feel love for others; who is highly sensitive to their needs; who has a great capacity to understand and forgive human behavior and is at relative peace with the environment and all of existence. For some, these basic personality features are at least in part the result of a peak experience.

The self-actualization process refers to the discovery and development of the whole self, including any preexisting latent potential.²...Maslow, after years of studying self-actualizing individuals, described them as the best possible specimen of the human species and referred to them collectively as the "growing tip." They comprise only a fraction of one percent of the human population.³

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