Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization

Scott Barry Kaufman | Purpose

Why we love it: Part biography, part treatise, part how-to guide, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand what Abraham Maslow meant by self-transcendence. Think of it as Maslow 2.0.

From page xvii:
In my career it has become clear that the more we have limiting notions of potential that are dictated by others (schoolteachers, parents, managers, etc.), the more blind we become to the full potential of each and every unique individual and their own unique path to self-actualization and transcendence. My research has convinced me that we all have extraordinary creative, humanitarian, and spiritual possibilities but are often alienated from them because we are so focused on a very narrow slice of who we are. As a result, we aren’t fulfilling our full potential. We spend so much time looking outward for validation that we don’t develop the incredible strengths that already lie within, and we rarely take the time to fulfill our deepest needs in the most growth-oriented and integrated fashion.