Rogers believed that failure to realize our innate actualization tendency can lead to maladjustment.

This is one of the central ideas in Rogers' theory of self-actualization. Rogers believed that when individuals are unable to express their true selves, they may experience anxiety, depression, and other forms of psychological distress. He saw self-actualization as the natural tendency of human beings to grow and develop towards their full potential, and believed that the more a person is able to actualize themselves, the more fulfilled and satisfied they will be.