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. His website is https://scottbarrykaufman.com/bio/

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)

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Published on July 28, 2025