Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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SELF-FULFILLMENT

The realization of one's potentialities as a human being. Since nature provies those potentialities, it is assumed that nature also intends to have them developed. Self-development, therefore, is one of the purposes of human life. From a Christian point of view, self-fulfillment is not an absolute. It presumes that God is also pleased with the sacrifice of certain powers or abilites, when this is done according to the teachings of faith and in the interest of a higher purpose, such as evangelization or the service of one's neighbor.