BOOK REVIEW
(continued from page 21)
William James said: “It is as if the opposites of the world,
whose contradictoriness and conflict make all our difficulties and
troubles, were melted into unity.” 11 Transcenders sail through hypoegoic
states and noetic self-loss, becoming “simultaneously the
most individualistic and altruistic and social and loving of human
beings.” Kaufman cites “awe” research from Jonathan Haidt
(please immediately read his books), listing the six qualities of an
awe experience. 12 After describing some of the newer data on psychedelic
use, Kaufman defaults to Maslow’s contention that there
are “no shortcuts to authentic, long-lasting self-actualization.”
The last chapter on Maslow’s final Theory Z worldview (1969)
dives deeper into transcendent states and common characteristics
of Transcenders, the proverbial cool kids. Kaufman even ventures
into politics, claiming that liberals and conservatives are “both
agreeable, just in different ways … and can complement each other.”
Spread the word. He finishes with reflections on mortality and
plateau experiences. Plateau experiences describe the habit of noticing
the sacred in everyday life, recalling the earlier quote, “ordinary
with nothing taken away.”
CONCLUSION
The paradox of great books: the more you devour, the hungrier
you become. Transcend does not end abruptly, providing a checklist
on how to live more in the “B realm,” an Appendix I with seven
principles for becoming a whole person and Appendix II with
concrete challenges for your growth. Yes, you have homework.
I keep an old school, handwritten commonplace book, 13 taking
notes from books, jotting down profound quotes, building new
connections and bridging references to other works. Occasionally,
a book is simply too overflowing with wisdom to be condensed
into a few-page summary. You will benefit from reading every
chapter of Transcend, particularly if you actively write and reflect.
Hale et al. recently published a paper on adapting Maslow’s
hierarchy to serve as a template for medical resident wellness. 14
Faced with the variety of models for personal well-being, physicians
and other health care professionals have not agreed on a universal
framework. Perhaps we should each consider the entire life
work of Abraham Maslow, and the continuing research of Scott
Barry Kaufman. Modern relativism contends that all approaches
have validity, we each choose our own path. But Maslow was after
something universal, something perennial, something underlying
all of reality. We can transcend frameworks and models, and reflect
on this imperfect person’s journey, to see how we can humbly
accept ourselves, self-actualize and transcend.
References
1. Kaufman SB. Transcend : the new science of self-actualization. In: New
York: TarcherPerigee,; 2020.
2. Kashdan TB, Rottenberg J. Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect
of health. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010;30(7):865-878.
3. Forgeard MJC. Perceiving benefits after adversity: The relationship between
self-reported posttraumatic growth and creativity. Psychology of
Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. 2013;7(3):245-264.
4. Deep work : rules for focused success in a distracted world [spoken word].
New York, NY: Hachette Audio,; 2016.
5. Schutte NS, Malouff JM. Connections between curiosity, flow and creativity.
Personality and Individual Differences. 2020;152.
6. Kaufman SB, Gregoire C. Wired to create : unraveling the mysteries of
the creative mind. First Edition. ed. New York, NY: Perigee Books; 2015.
7. Leslie I. Curious : the desire to know and why your future depends on it.
New York: Basic Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group; 2014.
8. Palmer JC, Holmes RM, Perrewe P. A Multi-Level Theoretical Model of
CEO Dark Triad Personality on Subordinate And Firm Performance.
Academy of Management Proceedings. 2019;2019(1)
9. Solzhenitsyn AI. The Gulag archipelago, 1918-1956 : an experiment in literary
investigation, I-II. London: Collins : Harvill Press; 1974.
10. Epstein DJ. Range : why generalists triumph in a specialized world. New
York: Riverhead Books; 2019.
11. James W. The varieties of religious experience; a study in human nature.
New York etc.: Longmans, Green, and co.; 1902.
12. Haidt J. The happiness hypothesis : finding modern truth in ancient wisdom.
New York: Basic Books; 2006.
13. Stolberg M. John Locke’s “new method of making common-placebooks”:
tradition, innovation and epistemic effects. Early Sci Med.
2014;19(5):448-470.
14. Hale AJ, Ricotta DN, Freed J, Smith CC, Huang GC. Adapting Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs as a Framework for Resident Wellness. Teach Learn
Med. 2019;31(1):109-118.
Dr. Huecker is a practicing UofL Emergency Medicine Physician and Faculty Member.
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