Fully Functioning Person: Meaning, Examples, Characteristics, And More

2024 is dedicated to advocating and addressing mental health issues on a global scale. This year the Calm Sage team is working towards raising awareness and helping people in their self-improvement journey.

In today’s self-improvement blog, we will be talking about a fully functioning person. To begin with, I want to ask you a simple question, “Have you ever seen a person who is in touch with their deepest desires and feelings and believes that they have a sense of self-direction and purpose?” If yes, know that they are one of the gems and you can learn many things from them. 

According to psychology, a fully functioning person is able to reach the fullest potential in life. They are in touch with their innermost and deepest feelings and desires. They trust their instincts and understand their emotions. This concept is often linked with the theory of self-actualization.

In this blog, we will be taking a deep look at who is a fully functioning personality, its examples, characteristics, signs, how to become one, and more. So, let’s get started!

Related: The Good, The Bad, The Fire: Signs You Have a Fiery Personality!

An Overview of Fully Functioning Person 

A psychologist named Carl Rogers defined a fully functioning person as a continually working person towards their goals with full potential and becoming self-actualized. When someone reaches their full potential and starts appreciating life, the concept is known as self-actualization.

During the process, the person receives unconditional positive regard which plays an important role. This understanding makes people express their feelings openly. Fully functioning people have mastered existential living and they appropriately know how to live in a moment. 

They work harder to embrace their creativity, challenges, excitement, and inner freedom. Additionally, some psychologists also define a fully functioning person as ever-evolving and flexible. Some theories state that fully functioning people have their own self-concept of being fully potential, they are constantly evolving through experiences and taking up new information and learning.

Since fully functioning people are keen to learn from their own experiences, they keep tracking their emotions and achieve their fullest potential by evolving. According to Roger’s theory, a fully functioning person is a healthy personality with a mindful and growth mindset and learning from new experiences. 

Rogers developed client-centered therapy based on a fully functioning person’s theory. This therapy is based on offering unconditional positive regard and allowing a safe space for the client’s psychological and emotional growth. 

Examples of Fully Functioning Person 

• You’ll always find a fully functioning person never distorting or denying experiences. They know how to accept reality and they don’t use any kind of self-defense mechanisms. 
• A fully functioning person is a person who adapts according to the needs of the situation. They are not only professionals or family members; they are beyond their labels as they are flexible and ever-evolving personalities. 
• Have you ever observed a person who easily gets along with everybody? Well, they can be fully functioning people because they have an ability to live in harmony. 

Characteristics of a Fully Functioning Person 

Fully functioning people are well-synced with their potential and they keep on tracking their emotions. Below listed are some other characteristics of a fully functioning person: 

• Actively takes responsibility 
• Actively willing to make realistic change 
• Avoids defensiveness 
• Caring 
• Cooperative 
• Creative 
• Emotionally intelligent 
• Evolves with self-concept 
• Flexible 
• Maintains an ability to change or evolve 
• Maintains a sense of self-direction and purpose 
• Openness 
• Uses their values, doesn’t distort experiences, and trusts their instincts 
• Problem-solving 
• Resilient personality 
• Respectful 
• Receives feedback positively 
• Self-acceptance
• Self-expression 
• Self-improvement 
• Self-regard

Signs of a Fully Functioning Person 

A fully functioning adult is not only someone who is self-confident but someone who uses their potential constantly to win something in life. It’s a self-concept that is different for everyone. Below listed are some of the common and important signs of a fully functioning person: 

• A fully functioning person is self-satisfied and knows how to cope with ups and downs. 
• A fully functioning person tends to have strong visualization powers. 
• A fully functioning person is well aware of their weaknesses and strengths. 
• A fully functioning person constantly works on taking new challenges and converting their weaknesses into strengths. 
• A fully functioning person keeps on trying new experiences to self-evolve. 
• A fully functioning person is not a perfect person but they are still satisfied and happy with what they have. 
• A fully functioning person is always striving to achieve something in the process. 
• A fully functioning person is humble, kind, and generous. 
• A fully functioning person self-accepts their mistakes and genuinely makes moves to correct their wrong behaviors. 
• A fully functioning person is goal and action-oriented and they are well-aware of their limits. 
• A fully functioning person knows how to say no. 
• A fully functioning person actively listens and communicates with people. 

How to Become a Fully Functioning Person? 

In order to become a fully functioning person, it’s important to observe the characteristics and signs of a fully functioning person to get a brief idea of how they work, think, and reflect. It takes a lot to become a fully functioning person, and you’re going to face a lot of challenges during the journey. Don’t give up, keep moving, and keep improving. Always, remember, to keep working on your goals, know your potential, and live life to the fullest. Here’s your guide to becoming a fully functioning person: 

Step 1: Learn to maintain a sense of purpose or meaning

The first step towards becoming a fully functioning person is to find purpose or meaning in your life. A sense of purpose will help you find a direction wherein you wish to proceed. Additionally, it will help you decide your values, strengths, and weaknesses. This is how you will be able to achieve motivation to self-evolve, self-improve, and self-accept. 

Step 2: Keep on learning through experiences or mistakes

Throughout the journey, keep your eyes on the goal, and in-between keep track of your learning experiences to use them as your strengths. Also, learn from your mistakes to avoid dissatisfaction and live your life to the fullest. The key is to keep your values aligned with your goals. 

Step 3: Practice mindfulness and develop creative problem-solving skills

Throughout the journey, be open to new learning and keep your mind open to develop empathy and kindness towards others. Be mindful, enjoy the process and keep enhancing your problem-solving skills with creativity. Make mindfulness your everyday practice so that you can focus on your emotions and feelings as well. 

Step 4: Trust your strengths and face challenges 

A fully functioning person is well aware of their needs, strengths, and resiliency. Therefore, start the process with some self-awareness activities and learn to trust your strengths. Grab a notebook, pen down your strengths, and develop trust to gain more attention to your current thoughts and visualize positive outcomes. 

Step 5: Be authentic, respectful, and approachable 

Another step is to build authenticity, empathy, and respect towards everyone. Approach everyone with authenticity and respect to receive the same. Strive to become an understanding personality, this way you’ll be emphasizing your needs and protecting your overall well-being. Be real, authentic, and genuine to become a fully functioning person. 

Step 6: Keep kindness in your pockets 

Becoming a fully functioning person is a never-ending process; it’s a self-concept wherein you keep on changing yourself according to the learning, experiences, and challenges. During the process, keep kindness and empathy handy to engage in genuine interactions with others and strive to become a thoughtful personality. 

Step 7: Look for opportunities 

The moment you start thinking, “I have learned everything to become a fully functioning person”, is the moment wherein you start blocking your opportunities. Therefore, keep your focus intact towards a growth mindset, keep looking for opportunities to self-improve, and focus on making your journey a mindful one! 

Step 8: Follow the paths of self-acceptance and self-improvement

One of the most important key factors involved in becoming a fully functioning person is to build unconditional positive regard. This can be effectively done with self-acceptance and self-improvement. Accept your flaws, be ready for the change, appreciate what you have, and focus on a positive growth mindset. 

Step 9: Live life to the fullest 

The best mantra to become a fully functioning personality is to live life to the fullest, know your potential, trust your inner powers, and spread kindness like confetti! 

Quick Takeaway: Why Unconditional Positive Regard is Important to Become a Fully Functioning Person?

The concept of “Unconditional positive regard” was also introduced by Carl Rogers. It is directed toward a person who loves what they have and refrains from any kind of criticism or judgment. The values of positive regard remain the same in all situations. It helps in fostering a positive sense of worth which can be a really important factor to become a fully functioning person. 

I hope this blog helps you understand a fully functioning person, its examples, characteristics, and more. 

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Thanks for reading!