In this episode of Bulletproof Radio, my guest, Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., is a humanistic psychologist exploring the depths of human potential. We go way beyond basic needs and discuss how to get close to transcendence. Hint: you get to change (or even drop) the story you tell about yourself. It’s one of the hard parts of self-actualization, but worth it to move your life forward.
When Scott discovered Abraham Maslow's unfinished theory of transcendence through unpublished journals, lectures and essays, he felt a deep connection to his own work. Maslow is most famous for his theory on the hierarchy of needs
“We can harness [Maslow’s theory of] transcendence in our lives and we can be motivated by what he called the B values, the values of pure being, the values in life that you don't engage with and you're not one with because you want something else,” Scott says.
Scott’s curiosity led him to finish Maslow’s theory and update it with seven decades of new science that’s been discovered since. The result is Scott’s new book, “Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization.”
I took Scott’s free self-actualization test, and we explore my results in today’s discussion. Scott has great insights about how to approach vulnerability with yourself and others, self-awareness, attachment and other critical pieces of human growth and personal development.
“A lot of people don't realize that they can actually divorce their mind and have a lot more psychological free will,” he says. “Sometimes I think it's an act of craziness to exert it.”
Scott unravels the mysteries of Maslow’s unfinished theory and integrates these ideas with the latest research on connection, creativity, love, purpose and other building blocks of a life well lived, and gives science-backed suggestions, including:
- Fight familiarization and seek fresh experiences.
- Periodically get away from time-and-space concerns.
- Get out of the “deficiency realm” by deliberately going to the “being realm.”
“These aren't necessarily things that are going to make you happy,” Scott says. “Again, we're going through the difference between happiness and growth, but they're things that will help you grow. They really will. They'll help you get outside your comfort zone.”
Scott has been named one of "50 Groundbreaking Scientists who are changing the way we see the world" by Business Insider. He’s hosted “The Psychology Podcast” since 2014 and wrote the popular “Beautiful Minds” blog for Scientific American for close to a decade.
Enjoy! And get more resources at https://blog.daveasprey.com/category/podcasts/
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