Book SummaryTranscend, by Scott Barry Kaufman

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Transcend

You may have heard of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, usually presented as a pyramid, in which he lays out the basic needs people must meet in order to reach their full potential. In Transcend, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman argues that Maslow’s ideas about this “pyramid” of needs are largely misunderstood, and he provides an updated view of Maslow’s hierarchy that’s more in line with modern science as well as Maslow’s full body of work and the teachings of other humanistic psychologists. Kaufman’s updated hierarchy of needs is split into two categories (security needs and growth needs), and he argues that we must meet both to self-actualize (realize our full potential).

Although...

Transcend Summary The Tenets of Humanistic Psychology

According to Kaufman, the ideas of humanistic psychology arose around the 1930s largely in response to the two most common fields of psychology of that time: behaviorism and Freudian psychoanalysis. According to both those theories, people are inherently selfish beings driven by basic motives like power and lust, and in order to be good we must thwart these selfish desires.

Humanistic psychology, on the other hand, is focused on the positive aspects of humanity and human consciousness. It’s based on the idea that humans are capable of free will, self-awareness, and compassion. Though we are sometimes driven by things like power and lust, we’re capable of much more than just following our selfish desires. Through...

Transcend Summary Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs

Considered one of the founders of humanistic psychology, Abraham Maslow argued that humans are inherently good, and it’s only when our needs aren’t met that we behave in ways that are considered “bad.” If our most basic needs are met, then we’ll treat ourselves and others with dignity, respect, and kindness, and we can focus on striving to be the best person we can be.

It’s from this idea that Maslow developed his hierarchy of needs. At the bottom of the hierarchy are our basic needs, which include our physiological needs of food, warmth, and shelter, our social needs of community and affection, and our personal need of self-esteem. At the top of the hierarchy sits our need for self-actualization—our need to live a fulfilling life and make full use of our capabilities. He argues that we can’t reach self-actualization unless our basic needs are first met.

(Shortform note: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is based on the idea that humans are fundamentally “good,” and the philosophical debate on whether we’re inherently good or evil stretches back centuries. Some, like Aristotle, argue that we’re born...

Transcend Summary Kaufman’s New Hierarchy of Needs

Kaufman argues that modern neuroscience and psychological research support Maslow’s theories regarding deficiency and growth, and he thus bases his new...

Transcend Summary Security Needs

According to Kaufman, there are three major security needs: the need to feel safe, the need to connect to others, and the need for self-esteem.

The Need to Feel Safe

Kaufman claims that the most critical aspect of security is the need to feel safe, as it’s the foundation upon which all other needs are built. Satisfying this foundational need is vital for growth because if at any point this foundation is lost, your thoughts and behaviors will be dominated by the need to regain it. Kaufman breaks the need to feel safe into two categories: physical safety and emotional safety.

Physical Safety

The needs of physical safety include the physiological needs of food, warmth, shelter, and protection from harm. In modern society, this also includes financial security, as a stable income helps provide for all the other physical safety needs.

According to Kaufman, the need for physical safety is tied to our need to understand and control our environment to achieve our goals. When we feel uncertain about our ability to do this, fears and anxieties arise, which get in the way of developing as a person—if you’re worried about how you’re going to put food on the table, you...

Transcend Summary Growth Needs

In Kaufman’s new hierarchy of needs, the three security needs set a foundation for self-actualization, or what he calls fulfilling your growth needs. Kaufman equates self-actualization with growth because self-actualization isn’t about meeting all your needs and then stopping; it’s about making constant progress. To live a fulfilling life, you need to always feel as though you’re developing as a person and reaching toward your fullest potential.

(Shortform note: The authors of Minimalism argue that what constitutes a meaningful life is different for everyone, but in general, a meaningful life is one in which you feel successful. However, they add that success is tied to constant improvement. Whether in your relationships, your personal health, your career, or any other area of growth you deem important, if you feel you’re improving on a daily basis, you’re likely to find happiness and meaning in your life. According to the authors, the key to living a more meaningful life is to [find ways to enjoy positive experiences you...

Transcend Summary Transcendence

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-actualization sits at the top, representing the pinnacle of human potential. Yet Kaufman notes that toward the end of his career, Maslow noticed that some people can reach for something greater—they can transcend self-actualization. In other words, they can fulfill their deficiency and growth needs while simultaneously being motivated by values that go beyond the self, like beauty, truth, or justice. Kaufman suggests that some people are able to consistently live by such transcendent values and that this is the level of being to which we should all strive.

(Shortform note: Kaufman argues that transcending self-actualization means living by values that extend beyond the self. In Awaken the Giant Within, Tony Robbins also emphasizes the importance of values, saying that living by your values brings you fulfillment and joy. Although he doesn’t explicitly say you should live by selfless values, he maintains that [you should work to understand which values are most important to...

Shortform Exercise: Examine How Your Needs Affect Your Ability to Grow

A core idea of Kaufman’s work is that your insecurities can hinder your ability to grow and become the best version of yourself. Let’s explore how this idea applies to your life and experiences.

Describe a time recently when you felt insecure about yourself or your abilities. For example, maybe a friend or loved one criticized how loudly you chew.