The study of crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy
Interpretation
Studying flawed or limited examples leads to flawed thinking and understanding.
Abraham Maslow's quote highlights the importance of studying healthy and mature examples to foster a robust psychology and philosophy. When we focus on and analyze only those who are crippled or stunted in their development, our understanding, beliefs, and overall philosophy are limited and weakened, reinforcing a cycle of mediocrity and limiting potential growth.
In practice
This quote can be used in a psychology class to emphasize the importance of studying healthy individuals.
It looks as if there were a single ultimate goal for mankind, a far goal toward which all persons strive. This is called variously by different authors self-actualization, self-realization, integration, psychological health, individuation, autonomy, creativity, productivity, but they all agree that this amounts to realizing the potentialities of the person, that is to say, becoming fully human, everything that person can be.
Dispassionate objectivity is itself a passion, for the real and for the truth.
Marriage is a school itself. Also, having children. Becoming a father changed my whole life. It taught me as if by revelation.
It seems that the necessary thing to do is not to fear mistakes, to plunge in, to do the best that one can, hoping to learn enough from blunders to correct them eventually.
I was awfully curious to find out why I didn't go insane.
Classic economic theory, based as it is on an inadequate theory of human motivation, could be revolutionized by accepting the reality of higher human needs, including the impulse to self actualization and the love for the highest values.
Part of being in New York is being able to brag about what used to be there.
If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth’s grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God’s will, and with equal joy they would lift a Lazarus in his rags to Abraham’s bosom, or be a chariot of fire to carry an Elijah home.
A 'no' does not hide anything, but a 'yes' very easily becomes a deception.
There was never a good war, or a bad peace.
A creature who has spent his life creating one particular representation of his selfdom will die rather than become the antithesis of that representation
Ethics is in origin the art of recommending to others the sacrifices required for cooperation with oneself.
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