What is the main message of Transcend?

The main message of Transcend is that everyone has the potential to achieve their highest level of human flourishing.

How long does it take to read Transcend?

The estimated reading time for Transcend varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Is Transcend a good book? Is it worth reading?

Transcend is a valuable read that explores human potential and offers practical advice for personal growth.

Who is the author of Transcend?

The author of Transcend is Scott Barry Kaufman.

Transcend Summary of Key Ideas and Review | Scott Barry Kaufman

Name: Transcend
Rating: 4.5 (566 reviews)
Author: Scott Barry Kaufman

Introduction

What’s in it for me? Be the best self you can be.

If you’ve ever taken an introductory psychology class or followed a wellness blogger on Instagram, then you’re probably familiar with Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs.

You’ve most likely seen a picture of a pyramid divided into five different levels. The bottom level, the base of the pyramid, represents humankind's most basic need: safety. The top level, the pyramid's tip, represents our most abstract need: self-actualization. This image makes it easy to think that going through life is like advancing through the levels of a video game: once you're done with safety you can forget about it and move on to the next level, until, eventually, you reach the last level – self-actualization.

This understanding is a bit simplistic. What’s more, Abraham Maslow himself was working on a deeper way to understand the whole of human existence when he died in 1970. These blinks expand on his work and reimagine it, showing how self-actualization is about integrating all your needs into a healthy whole that enables you to grow. They explain how realizing your full human potential can connect you not only to your best possible self but also to the people around you. Along the way, you’ll learn that transcendence, far from being mystical, is something we can all aim for in our everyday lives.

You’ll also find out

how getting lost in a good book gives you a taste of transcendence;
what a centenary on a remote Greek island can tell us about fundamental human needs; and
why seeking adventure is good for your mental health.

Key idea 1 of 8

The need for safety is the basis of all other needs.

Ever been hangry? If you’re like most people, you probably have, even if you’re not familiar with the word. “Hanger” is hunger-induced anger, and though the word is obviously a humorous coinage, it points to a very real phenomenon.

It’s just one example of how, when basic needs like hunger aren’t met, negative emotions can overwhelm us, causing all other feelings and concerns to fade into the background.

Our most basic need is safety. Safety means stability, a sense of certainty, and having trust in our environment. It’s the secure foundation that allows us to take risks and explore the world.

The key message here is: The need for safety is the basis of all other needs.

Beyond physiological needs like hunger, our sense of safety comes down to how we relate to the people around us.

One of the ways we relate to others is called attachment, and it begins in childhood. Every human is born helpless and completely dependent on the people taking care of it. An infant’s sense of safety depends on its caregiver. If the caregiver is close and paying attention, the infant will feel safe and secure, and it will be willing to play and explore the world.

But if the caregiver leaves or stops paying attention, the infant will get anxious and start trying to get noticed again – by crying, for example.

From these interactions in infancy, we develop our attachment style. As we grow older, our attachment style plays a key role in our relationships. If we were lucky enough to grow up in a warm, caring environment, we learn to be attached in a secure way. We feel confident that others will accept us. But if our caregivers weren’t reliable or sufficiently available, we become anxious in future relationships. We may even avoid close relationships altogether, which is called avoidant attachment.

No one’s attachment style is completely secure. There’s a broad spectrum between secure and avoidant, and most people have at least some levels of anxious or avoidant attachment – or both – especially in times of stress.

Still, people who have a secure attachment style are better equipped to deal with life’s challenges. They cope with and regulate their emotions in more constructive ways, and have more satisfying relationships. In contrast, insecurity, especially the anxious kind, can lead to depression and loneliness.

The good news is that, though we learn our attachment style in childhood, we can change our patterns. New, positive experiences can help us develop healthier ways of interacting.

Key idea 2 of 8

Connection is a fundamental need.

If you spend some time on the sunny Greek island of Ikaria and get to know its residents, you’ll probably be invited to a hundredth birthday party or two. On this little island in the Aegean Sea, there’s no shortage of centenarians. What’s more, many of them enjoy active social lives.

The secret to their longevity? It’s not just the nice weather and their healthy diet.

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Key idea 3 of 8

Healthy self-esteem is the result of positive accomplishments.

What image comes to mind when you hear the words “high self-esteem”? Do you instantly imagine a brash, arrogant narcissist who’s constantly claiming the spotlight? In popular culture, self-esteem is often equated with an oversized ego. But healthy self-esteem is something else entirely.

Self-esteem is not the same as self-regard. It has nothing to do with narcissism or egocentricity. Rather, self-esteem is the natural result of genuine accomplishment and connection with other people. If you find yourself too focused on improving your self-esteem, that’s already a sign that something has gone wrong.

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Key idea 4 of 8

Exploration enables you to grow as a person.

Have you ever watched children at play? If you have, you’ve surely noticed how absorbed they become in their games, approaching the world with curiosity and fascination, as though life were one big adventure.

Sadly enough, our adventuresome nature tends to fade in adulthood. As we grow up, our playfulness and wonder begin to wane. This is a shame, because exploration has many benefits. For one, it’s how we learn more about the world. It can also help us sweep away our fears and anxieties.

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Key idea 5 of 8

Love is more fulfilling when it’s not based on a deficiency.

In conversations with friends, in popular culture, even in psychology research, love tends to be defined in negative terms. We think of love as a lack. Love is something people want, something they long for, something that must be found out there. Finding love means receiving love.

But the people who feel that they’ve truly found love, the people who don’t experience love primarily as a lack, are those who give love.

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Key idea 6 of 8

Purpose is what gives meaning to our lives.

You might have heard about Greta Thunberg, the young climate-change activist. She’s become a bit of a superstar. But she’s the first to admit that she wasn’t always so active, and she definitely wasn't always a superstar. For most of her teenage years, she struggled to make friends and spent a lot of time sitting alone in her room feeling sorry for herself.

Hard to believe, considering the confident young woman she’s become. So what led to her transformation?

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Key idea 7 of 8

Peak experiences enhance your sense of self and your connection with the world.

Imagine you're on a hike in Arizona. You're there to see one of the world's natural wonders: the Grand Canyon. It's summer, and it's hot, and you've been hiking for hours – and then, suddenly, you're there. The massive canyon – it's bigger than you ever could have imagined! – stretches out before you. For a moment, you forget your surroundings. You forget that you're you. As you gaze out at that strange and wonderful vastness, you feel as though you've become one with the landscape.

Experiences like these are what happy memories are made of. But, beyond that, they are also a crucial component of self-actualization.

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Key idea 8 of 8

Transcendence involves your entire being.

Now that you know about peak experiences, you might think that you can’t go any higher. But it’s actually possible to reach beyond the peak – and that’s where transcendence comes in.

Transcendence is an elusive idea, and means many different things to many different people. In a 1969 paper about its meaning, Maslow came up with 35 ways to define the term. It included a great variety of concepts, from loss of self-consciousness to acceptance of the natural world to experiencing cosmic consciousness.

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