Description:
Scott Barry Kaufman is a professor of psychology at Columbia University and director of the Center for Human Potential. He hosts The Psychology Podcast which has received over 30 million downloads. He is the author and editor of 11 books. His most recent book is Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential. This discussion focuses on his book Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization, about the life and work of Abraham Maslow, whose theories of human potential have been updated and revised by Dr. Kaufman.
Here he shares his appreciation for the work of Abraham Maslow and the various movements in psychology of which he was an acknowledged pioneer: humanistic, transpersonal, and positive psychology. The conversation also addresses the role of the dark side of human behavior.
00:00 Introduction
06:47 Maslow's impact
16:10 The dark and light triads
22:03 Self-actualization coaching
27:01 Positive Psychology
31:05 Maslow's confrontation with death
37:48 Correlations with intelligence
42:32 Community actualization
51:26 Updating Maslow's work
59:32 Conclusion
(Recorded on July 3, 2025)
