Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization

Within the humanistic psychology framework, the healthy personality is considered one that constantly moves toward freedom, responsibility, self-awareness, meaning, commitment, personal growth, maturity, integration, and change, rather than one that predominantly strives for status, achievement, or even happiness.7

distorts reality, making demands on a person’s whole being: “Feed me! Love me! Respect me!”28 The greater the deficiency of these needs, the more we distort reality to fit our expectations and treat others in accordance with their usefulness in helping us satisfy our most deficient needs.

essential human concerns—security, commitment, love, growth, meaning, authenticity, freedom, responsibility, justice, courage, creativity, and spirituality—is

Being-Realm of existence (or B-realm, for short) is like replacing a clouded lens with a clear one.

altruistic, creative, open, authentic, accepting, independent, and brave.

“How do you define the word ‘friendship’?”12 Maslow began by defining a friend as someone who is truly “need-gratifying” and whose needs you want to gratify in return. He then defined the friendship of lovers as one where each other’s needs melt into one, as the partner’s needs become your needs.

working on a series of exercises to transcend the ego and live more regularly in the “B-realm”—the realm of “pure Being.”

I have broken self-actualization—and therefore growth—into three specific needs for which there is strong contemporary scientific support: exploration, love, and purpose.

“Maslow’s Pyramid” was actually created by a management consultant in the sixties.