Words are important no doubt, but the meaning and context in which they are used is more important.......

"Social Rejection" when considered as renunciation of social activities, cannot lead to "Personal Freedom" (Individual's freedom from any and everything). Reason: An induced act of such social rejection/renunciation would lead to a subjective freedom only (i.e. a sense of freedom or pseudo-freedom, while not socializing). Whenever incidents of socializing will arise (which are inevitable of course), the person inducing social rejection will have to spend a lot of energy (psychological though not physical) in the activity, and thus can never be free from any and everything.

@K. Naboka: In case the terms "Social Rejection" and "Personal Freedom" mean anything else, it would be interesting to know the context in which the question is posed.

Thank you for your contribution, Mr Mahadik. Perhaps, I posed my question in an ambiguous way - I've meant the following:

To restrain a personal freedom an individual may have to overcome his/her desire to belong. By individuation and facing social rejection a person might find oneself protecting own views and stop being dependent on a crowd.

My focus area here would be self-actualization.

@ K. Naboka: If it is understood correctly, the extent of one's acceptance of the idea that his/her views are or will be rejected by the society is being investigated as a factor affecting/inducing self actualization.

I m not much of an expert, but would like to share some views which are based on Vedic Sciences. Self actualization is a process characterized by an intense drive which is a function of environments (internal-psychological and physical as well as external-society and nature). Since exploring the limiting extent of one's capability is the goal of self-actualization, the complete focus of the individual undergoing the process is on his/her present capability, while at the same time he/she is looking out for its further extension and development. This constant act of undivided focus when practiced over a considerably sufficient period, leads to the required self-actualization. Now coming to the social rejection part. It plays its roles before the self actualization process is initiated. Because once initiated, there will be undivided focus. The initiation of self actualization largely depends on the ability of the individual to accept the rejection if any. The extent of undivided focus will be decided by the extent of the individual acceptance to rejection if any. Zero Acceptance means Zero Focus. 100% acceptance means 100% focus.

Very interesting point, Mr Mahadik! Thank you. Do you recall any names I can search regarding the hypothesis you've mentioned?

@ K. Naboka: As I have mentioned in the above answer, the viewpoint is based on Vedic Sciences. So far I have not found any English Literature dealing with the scientific understanding of self-actualization process in the Vedic Context. However, the Patanjali Yogasutras (Principles of Yoga in form of equations) which are one small part of the gamut of Vedanta are the key to the above views. There is one book which elaborates the scientific implication of the Yogasutras in the context of Psychology written by K.K. Kolhatkar---Titled "Bharatiya Manas-Shastra--Saartha aani savivaran--Patanjali yogadarshan." Meaning "Indian Psychology--Meanings and elaboration of Patanjali Yogadarshan"....The book is written in marathi, but it elaborates scientific fundamentals of psychology which are way beyond the various theories that are being laid at present by modern day psychologists.

In Patanjali Yogadarshan---the term used for self actualization is "Samadhi" in general or "Samapatti" in particular. What was discussed as the extent of acceptance of social rejection has been termed as "Vairagya". The Sutras (Equations) provide a step by step procedure by which the extent of acceptance (Vairagya) can be increased from 0 to 100----which automatically increases the extent of focus (termed as "Dhyan")----and when "Dhyan" (focus) remains constant with a particular idea of extension of capabilities (termed as "Dharana"), over a considerable period of time, one is founded in a state of ultimate consciousness (termed as Samadhi or Samapatti) wherein---the required answers are obtained (what is commonly called intuition or interaction with the sub-conscious sphere of the mind in modern psychology).---That is Sanskrit or marathi literature...

Coming to Literature in English which can be related to the above views----Although I have seen no book which details a step by step procedure in comparison to one by Kolhatkar, but there are books that deal with the cause and effect relationship related to the working of the Sub-conscious mind. There are many researchers working in this area. Some theories are also available in the area to explain the cause and effect relationships. However in the above viewpoint, all the cause and effect relationships can be scientifically explained. You can very well pick up any such case study and use your own self-actualization process with the required idea of extension of capabilities (Dharana in your mind), and once established in the state of ultimate consciousness----you will come across new required frontiers of the knowledge-----This is the way inventions took place in history----this is the way a human mind works---

Wish you all the best----and in case any help is needed-----Feel free to contact me---

There is a mistake in defining two terms in the above answer.....

The term "Dharna" is used in Yogadarshan for focus, while the term "Dhyan" is used for suspending an idea in the mind while focusing for a sufficiently long period.....I happened to mistakenly interchange the meanings in the earlier answer.....

Thank you so much for such an interesting overview of the topic in Vedic Sciences, Mr Manadik (Or shall I say Dr, actually?)! I must look it up.

So it basically states that the better you know yourself and the more you're able to expand your subconscious capabilities - then it will be easier to achieve a state of self-actualization and not being affected by social rejection?

I guess it is a state of personal freedom when you can differentiate with own ideas and those of others... It does take a considerable mind effort and I believe that Vedic Sciences might be a good guidance to achieving such a state as they combine spiritual and scientific traditions.

Thanks again for your detailed answers! : )

@ K. Naboka: You got it right. Better you know yourself (psychologically) the more you're able to expand your subconscious capabilities - and it is this extension of capabilities that can be referred to as self actualization. As for social rejection, for a person who understands his own mind also understands that the problem of social rejection is not rooted in the society but its there in the mind (a complex net of thoughts and reasoning that can be resolved with patience) and then Social rejection does not remain an issue.

Secondly the basis of Vedas is Integration not differentiation. In the process discussed above one can attain the level of understanding where one sees the various perspectives/ideas of one single entity as functions of different perceptions and environments. Thus its not your idea or his idea or my idea.....It is just---Given that so and so environment and so and so perception----end result is so and so!!!! Speaking mathematically, in contrast to arriving at discrete ideas which are a result of a differentiation process---one arrives at an integrated function which encompasses all those ideas. That is what veda is all about.

and I m not a doctorate yet!!!..