Self-realization is the maximum that a person can achieve by using his abilities and skills or it is the fulfillment of one's own objectives and goals. As Thomas Szasz says about self-realization that: "people often say that this or that person has not found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates".
Gay.Hendricks also comes up with a comprehensive definition of self -realization:" The highest goal of spirituality is self -realization, but what does that mean? It means to feel yourself as a living reality in this moment, and there is always only this moment".
Colin Butler in his article, "Hermann Hesse's "Siddhartha": Some Critical Objections" , discusses about an individual and his experiences to attain a position of competence. He reveals Siddhartha's preoccupations and development in order to achieve self -realization and also emphasizes on the autobiography of Hermann Hesse regarding "Siddhartha". He talks about the internal conflicts and its impact on self-realization of an individual. He raises different objections in this autobiographical novel regarding the life of Hermann Hesse. But Colins does not talk about the changes that nature brings in the character of Siddhartha to get self-realization. Nature is effective in bringing about a change in Siddhartha,
S.B. Bhambar also talks about the spiritual conflicts, moral awareness and difficulties of Siddhartha's journey towards self-realization in his work, "Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha - A Dualist Spiritual Journey". He talks about different experiences that lead Siddhartha towards self-realization. He also talks about the quest of knowledge towards self-realization and also discusses the thirst of an individual towards learning new things. His work focuses on the hardships and difficulties that a person faces to reach his goals and internal satisfaction. But discussion about the close link between nature and self-realization is missing.
John Dewey interprets self-realization as the developing process from the private to the social, from intuitive impulses to intelligent habits, and from self-centred thoughts to ethical ideals. For Dewey self-realization cannot be fulfilled unless the individual is experienced within the conjunction of one's biological, psychological and sociological contexts. In other words, schools focusing on the unity of individual's social, moral and cognitive development encourage human continuity or growth and education.
The sense of individuality and individual thinking is so dominant on Siddhartha's part that he gives any other thing less or no importance. His quest for self-realization is triggered by purely subjective frame-of-reference where even conventional religion and morality have no place. As Rayarama Dasa mentions: "Indeed the dialogue between Siddhartha and his lifelong friend Govinda at the end of this book is an item-by-item refutation of every principle of religion, morality and spiritual life ever handed down by the great Teachers of Mankind" His search for truth is characterized by his striving for higher values which, he thinks, can't be gleaned out from the mere religious teachings. "Siddhartha feels that theoretical knowledge of scriptures or mere verbosity of Vedanta would not lead one toward God or self realization"In the novel Siddhartha does create himself and goes through a lot by starving himself and leaving his family, he experiences the brutal realities of nature but what matters is that after all that he attains self-realization along with the help of nature.