Understanding Humans as Individual Beings – Physically, humans are the same as other living creatures. Both have supporting elements that are able to help him live. But specifically, humans are different from other creatures. The meaning is that humans as creatures created by God become the most perfect creatures with the intellect they possess.
The creation of reason that humans have can help them mention or categorize things and make a concept so that they have the ability to think. It can be said that the function of reason is to think.
Then what about human needs? If classified, human needs are divided into two, namely material needs and spiritual needs. Material needs include two things, namely physical and biological. While spiritual needs include mental and psychological.
Human Needs according to Abraham Maslow
A pioneer of humanistic psychology Abraham Maslow argued that human needs are divided into five. Anything? See the following explanation.
1. Physiological needs
Some things that are categorized as physiological or basic needs are eating, drinking, clothing, sexual, and some others.
2. The need for security and protection
This one need includes several things, such as being free from fear, protected from danger, the threat of disease, war, and several other things.
3. Social needs
Being loved, recognized as a community, and counted as a person is a social need that humans need.
4. The need for appreciation
As the name suggests, the need for appreciation is certainly needed by humans to be appreciated for their abilities, position, position, etc.
5. The need for self-actualization
This one need is needed by humans, namely maximizing self-potential, self-expression, and creativity.
The Meaning of Human Beings as Individual Beings
After getting to know and understand the meaning of humans and their needs, Reader can only know the meaning of humans as individual beings.
Ever heard of humans as individual beings? What is meant by individual? Actually individual comes from the Latin language individuum which means not divided. Whereas in English, individual comes from the words in and divided.
If interpreted, individual means not divided or become a unity. Why is that? Basically, humans are born as individual beings who are not separated, not divided between their soul and body.
Human development as an individual being does not only mean the unity of soul and body. Humans as individual beings have a broader meaning than that, namely humans have special characteristics with their own personality patterns.
Despite having a twin brother, the personality of one individual is very different from another. People who are born with twins will not have exactly the same physical and psychological characteristics.
In general, it can be seen that humans have the same physical equipment, but if we look further, the differences that each individual has will be clearly visible. The various differences will be seen in shape, size, nature, and so on.
When Reader are in a group of thousands or even millions of people, you will still be able to recognize someone you already know because that person has recognizable physical characteristics.
On the other hand, Reader will find it difficult to recognize one animal among thousands or even millions of similar animals. An individual is not only easily recognized through his physical or biological characteristics.
Reader can recognize him through his nature, character, style, temperament, and taste. But physical characteristics become the main weapon for you to recognize people. Because physically there are people who are fat, thin, slim, straight hair, curly hair, brown skin color, white, and so on.
Then you can recognize a person through his nature, character, and behavior. Because by nature there are people who are patient, cheerful, chatty, grumpy, etc.
So, the term individual can be used to express the smallest or limited unit. Individuals can be understood as individual human beings so that they are often used as the term “people” or “individual human beings”.
An individual can be defined as a human being who not only has a special role in his social environment, but also has a personality and specific behavior patterns about him.
Then there are several aspects attached to the assessment of each individual, namely the physical organic aspect, the psychological-spiritual aspect, and the social aspect. The unity of the physical and spiritual aspects can be the meaning of the word individual.
If there is a shock in one aspect, it will have consequences in other aspects. An individual’s spiritual ability can help him relate and think. In addition, the ability of the spiritual aspect of the individual can control and lead the mind to overcome every problem and reality that it experiences.
These elements or aspects must be united in him so that a person can be said to be a human being as an individual being. If those elements or aspects are not united anymore, then a person cannot be called an individual.
If a person only has his body, physical body, or body, then he cannot be said to be an individual. The term individual only applies to people who have organic physical integrity, psychological-spiritual, and social aspects.
Without the existence of a society that is the background of its existence, individual identity will not be clear. In order to form a behavior that is in line with the situation, the individual needs to distance himself and process himself. In addition, individuals also need to form habits that suit their behavior.
As individual beings, humans are always in the middle of other groups of individuals. Humans as individual beings need an environment that will help mature their personal formation.
There is a time when the environment becomes an inhibiting factor and a supporting factor in the process of individual formation.
The community environment is very influential on the formation of individuality. Conversely, individuals are also able to influence the community environment. The ability that each individual has is the main thing in establishing relationships with other human beings.
Human Growth Process as an Individual Being
Humans as individual beings are a combination of genotypic and phenotypic factors. What is meant by genotypic factor? Genotype factors are factors carried by individuals since birth and hereditary factors.
Because physically everyone has similarities and the same characteristics of their parents. The similarities that occur can include the entire physical appearance or only certain parts.
Physically you can see which part of the body has a resemblance to your parents. The same goes for nature and character. There may be some of your traits or characters that are similar to your father or mother.
What about phenotypic factors? Phenotypic factors are physical characteristics, characters or traits that are influenced by environmental factors. These factors have a great influence in the formation of the special characteristics of each person.
The environment in question is the physical environment, such as environmental conditions, living conditions or houses, and geographical conditions and climate. A person who lives in a mountainous area will certainly have different characteristics and habits from people who live in a coastal area.
People who live in coastal areas may have a habit of speaking that tends to be harsh, unlike people who live in mountainous areas. The living environment will shape a person’s habits and behavior.
Then there is the social environment that also forms the characteristics of individuals in social interaction. These interactions are usually done with family members, friends, and other large social groups.
The process of growth accompanied by outward and inward development is considered a natural and normal human development. The meaning is that the human personality or individual has its own special characteristics on the whole soul and body.
Growth can be interpreted as a human change towards being more advanced or arguably more mature. Then there are various opinions about growth. Basically, the process of association becomes part of growth. It can be said that the process of association is a change that happens to a person gradually and is influenced by the reciprocity of the experience he gets.
Factors That Affect Human Growth As Individual Beings
The following are some factors that can affect human growth as an individual being.
1. The Nativist View
Experts believe that this one growth factor is determined by other factors that individuals bring from birth. That is, a person’s growth is determined by the individual’s own factors, both similarity to parents, talent, and potential.
2. Empiricistic view
This one growth factor is slightly opposite to nativist, that is, the growth factor of an individual is backgrounded by the environment.
3. Convergence View
The last growth factor can be said to be a collaboration of the two views above. This individual growth factor is driven by the interaction of the environment and the environment.
Based on psychology, individual growth levels are divided into four, namely:
- Vital time (0-2 years)
- Aesthetic time (2-7 years)
- Intellectual age (7-14 years)
- Social time (14-21 years)
The Role of Humans as Individual Beings
After discussing how the process of individual formation and growth, this article will take you to know how the role of humans as individual beings.
Humans as individual beings have various roles to create all the things they want. Humans as individual beings have the role of protecting and defending their dignity.
Then as individual beings, humans continue to strive to fulfill their basic rights. Realizing one’s full potential, both physically and spiritually, is one of the roles of humans as individual beings.
In addition, humans as individual beings also play a role in fulfilling their own needs and interests for the well-being of the life they live.
Human Development as an Individual Being
Humans as the smallest unit in a group have self-awareness that comes from personal awareness of everything. The self-awareness referred to is reality, self-narcissism, self-respect, personality dignity, egoism, and self-realization.
Humans as individual beings need behavioral patterns. Known as homo sapiens, humans have a mind that can help them think and act wisely. The intellect can be used by humans to develop the various potentials that exist within themselves.
The potential is work, creation, and intention. The various development of potential that is done will make him a whole human being as the most perfect creature created by God.
Human development occurs individually through various stages that take dozens or even decades to become an adult. Humans will grow with the efforts of education.
The development that occurs will allow a person to have optimal potential. Educational efforts are made to develop human potential as individual beings.
Education can also help people develop all the ideas in their minds and help apply them in everyday life. That way, human beings as individual beings will improve the quality of their own lives.
Human Characteristics as Individual Beings
As explained before, every human being is born with a different personality or becomes himself. That is the uniqueness that humans have.
With the existence of individuality, each person will have different ambitions, wishes, feelings, enthusiasm, tendencies, and resilience. According to Oxendine, humans as individual beings have different characteristics. The following is the difference in the individuality of each person that appears specifically.
1. Physical differences
The physical differences in question are height and weight, age, vision, hearing, and ability to act.
2. Social differences
Social differences, including religion, economic status, tribe, and family relationships.
3. Personality differences
Personality differences lie in character, interests, motives, and attitudes.
4. Differences in skill or intelligence