I am struck with the notion that it must be exceedingly rare for the notion of growth to occur to sentient organisms. Growth is, in effect, a chosen disequilibrium, when biological systems–all physical systems, really–will always gravitate towards homeostasis naturally.
True growth, qualitative growth, is always towards the unknown. There is, yes, the growth in skill, for example playing piano or throwing a football. These are known pathways.
Growth in the self, though: one cannot possibly predict what will happen, or precisely how it will feel. Such a thing can only be motivated by pain, which is to say an existing disequilibrium. Perhaps this is an induced disequilibrium, such as the tenet that life is pain, as exposited by the Buddha.
I will comment, though, that often growth, too, is pain. The path, though, is towards a new equilibrium. Or perhaps not. I cannot know. Perhaps the words are “higher participation.”