A QUICK AND USEFUL ACMEOLOGY GLOSSARY
Select Terms from the Acmeological Dictionary
The Acmeological Dictionary contains about 200 terms from the field of acmeology. Here are a few core terms found in this quintessential dictionary.
AKME (from the Greek akme - the pinnacle of human development as an individual (natural being), as a person (an ensemble of relationships) and as a subject of activity (primarily as a professional), his highest achievements in his life, optimal self-realization.
GENIUS (from lat. Genius - spirit) the exceptional quality of the most outstanding people, the highest level of development of human abilities, the highest degree of elevation of his creative forces, manifested in the achievement of such results of creative activity that determine the course of social, scientific or cultural development in a particular historical period . Genius is socially historically determined; it is associated with qualitatively new, unique discoveries, inventions, and achievements. A genius reaches acme in his area of expertise.
DETERMINISM (from Latin: determinare - define) - causation, the universal regular relationship of nature, society, thinking, the natural and necessary dependence of mental phenomena on the causes that cause them and the active selective role of the internal (psyche, personality, in relation to external influences.
MATURITY - a long age period, the middle link of a person’s life between youth and old age (from about 25 to 65 years); high level characterization of individual aspects of mental development.
IDEAL (from the French ideal, Greek idea - idea, prototype) is the highest goal of a person's aspirations, an image that is the embodiment of perfection, a model. Ideal is acmeological in its essence, since it is associated with the desire of people to achieve higher, with their progressive development, including in professionalism.
DECISION-MAKING is a spiritual and intellectual-volitional act of the process of life self-determination and psychological regulation in the system of purposeful activity. At the heart of decision-making are: choice (based on information processing), goal setting (through the struggle of motives), way of acting (achieving a result), and assessment criteria (and self-assessment).
SELF-KNOWLEDGE is the study and understanding of one’s inner self in the process of activity, cognition directed at oneself. The ability to self-knowledge is inherent only to man. It is realized with the help of perception and comprehension of one’s behavior, actions, experiences, results of activity. The process of self-knowledge develops gradually, often unconsciously.
SELF-ORGANIZATION is the ability to integrally regulate natural, mental, personal states, qualities, properties, carried out by consciousness by volitional and intellectual mechanisms. It is an indicator of personality maturity.
SELF-ACTUALIZATION is one of the core concepts of humanistic psychology. According to A. Maslow, it is a desire to become more than what you are; it is a need for self improvement, in the realization of one’s potential. K. Goldstein believed that humans seek to actualize the possibilities that are inherent in it by nature, calling identification and pursuit of these opportunities self-actualization and considering this as the main motive and purpose of human life.