The Color of Water and Malcolm X - 1155 Words

Abraham Maslow’s theory of â€Å"Hierarchy of Needs† consists of 5 things humans need. From top to bottom, top being the more complex needs and the bottom the more basic needs is; Self-Actualization, esteem, love/belonging, safety, and physiological. Self-actualization is the level of need that pertains to what a person’s full potential is and realizing that potential. It is broken up as morality, spontaneity, and lack of prejudice. Based on the two texts I read, The Color of Water by James McBride and The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley, I consider both James McBride and Malcolm X â€Å"self-actualized† men to a certain extent. James McBride is a â€Å"self-actualized† man to a certain extent because throughout his life he had a†¦show more content†¦The reason why I keep referring to chapter 14 isn’t because it’s the only chapter I’ve read, but because I feel as though this is a very important chapter that gives you a clear view of what James was going through in his teenage years and how these events made him grow up into the man he is today. When Malcolm X was young he lacked morals like most of us. It wasn’t until Malcolm was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison when became a Muslim and adopted morals. In chapter 2 of Malcolm X’s autobiography Malcolm attempts to be a boxer but ends up getting beaten by the same white boy twice. Malcolm says â€Å"A lot of times in these later years since I became a Muslim, I’ve thought back to that fight and reflected that it was Allah’s work to stop me: I might have wound up punchy.† This shows me that ever since Malcolm became a Muslim he no longer believed in physical violence. Supposedly there are six steps in becoming â€Å"self-actualized† I chose to focus on morality, lack of prejudice, and spontaneity because they stood out the most to me and seemed like excellent topics to focus on. The other steps are creativity, problem solving and acceptance of facts and both men have these accomplished these skills as well. When Malcolm finally went to school he was told by his teacher he could never be a lawyer and he accepted that because in those times it was rare for an African American to have aShow MoreRelatedCivil Rights Activist, Malcolm X1028 Words   |  4 PagesMalcolm X We didnt land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us.(Malcolm X).Even though Elijah Muhammad was bad to all these women and had gotten them pregnant. Malcolm X still believed in the thought of Muslims ways and Elijah’s teachings , especially when everything was segregated between whites and blacks adding on, Malcolm X had a bad past with white people. Malcolm X’s trip to Mecca had made him perceive something new. There in Mecca everyone was equal, the white man there wereRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. And Malcolm X811 Words   |  4 Pagesmisconstrued as a harangue. To be more precise, Malcolm X’s outcries can be deemed as both impolitic and radical. There is often a dichotomy between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. 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