Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist from the Philadelphia area. He shares his knowledge of the science of human potential through his books, teaching, podcast, blog, articles, self-actualization coaching, speeches at the World Government Summit, TEDx Talks, appearances on Dr. Phil, and more. Dr. Kaufman’s latest books include Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt; Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization; and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined.
I had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Kaufman about his writing.
Anna Ramesh: To start off, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman: Well, my professional identity is a cognitive scientist and a humanistic psychologist. I’m interested in helping all people fulfill their full potential and creativity… And, personally, I’m a big dork. I’m obsessed with nerdy things and nuance and truth and goodness and beauty. I’m incredibly quirky—I host a podcast that allows me to be quirky with my guests and shine a spotlight on the light that exists within them. I really enjoy doing that. One of my most enjoyable things in life is being able to shine a spotlight on the light of others.
AR: What led you to start writing? What led you to the point when you were like, “Okay, I want to share all the knowledge I have in my field with the general public and make it accessible and comprehensible?”
SBK: For a very long time, through early educational experiences, I felt as though people in Special Ed were not really recognizing their full potential. I always dreamt of being an author and writing a book about the education system. After I got my PhD, I kind of put everything else on hold and went to New York. [Eventually], the right [literary] agent came along and loved my book idea on Ungifted and that led to Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined, which is about how we can think about intelligence in a way that really unlocks the potential of all students.
AR: You’ve written books on self-actualization, redefining intelligence, the origins of greatness, and much more—what inspires you to write about these topics?
SBK: As long as I can remember, there has been something within me that has been ravenously curious about human potential. And personally, I was curious—what is my potential? I mean, teachers didn’t think much of me. Everyone thought I was stupid. So, I was like, “Is that true?” I tested it out, and, it turned out, at the very least I wasn’t stupid.
AR: What does your writing process typically look like?
SBK: My writing process looks extremely bipolar. One day, I’ll feel like I’ve got the whole thing cracked, and it’s super clear to me what I need to do and write. And then the next day, I’ll look at what I wrote that day and be like, “This is crap.”.
I think we underestimate the extent to which creativity involves this up and down. It’s part of the process, and it’s a matter of trying things and seeing what works and discarding what doesn’t work and having trust in the process.
AR: Besides your books, you share your knowledge of cognitive science and humanistic psychology through your podcast, self-actualization coaching, teaching, blogs, and articles. How have your other endeavors, and the people you’ve met through them, influenced the content in your books?
SBK: Everyone that I meet influences me in some way. You’re influencing my life right now. I have over 250 podcast episodes, [and] I learn a lot more from listening to others than I do from telling others how to think. That sounds obvious, but, in this day and age, I feel like everyone’s telling each other what to think. No one’s listening to each other.
I’ve learned so much from just putting a microphone on people, and I’ve learned that… we’re all human. [We all have] very similar basic needs. I’m very rarely surprised by someone’s struggles.
AR: In your book, Transcend: the New Science of Self-Actualization, you propose a sailboat metaphor to replace the familiar pyramidal depiction of Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs. Could you tell us about how you came up with this metaphor? Would you say that one of your goals is to better define or redefine psychological concepts that have been commonly misinterpreted throughout the years?
SBK: I like bringing old wisdom into modern day science and research and testing. I reimagined Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to be updated to what he actually meant [with] his emphasis on security versus growth. I like to redefine things too to make them broader and more applicable to more people. That’s something I like to do.
AR: Would you say there’s a target audience for your books? A lot of the books you’ve written can be classified as “self-help” books, including your latest book, Choose Growth, so should readers already be motivated to improve their lives before reading the advice in your books?
SBK: That’s ideal. You have to want to change and be radically honest about yourself and [the] ways in which [you’re] getting in the way of your self-actualization and transcendence.
AR: What can you tell us about projects or books you’re currently working on? What should we look forward to seeing from you in the future?
SBK: I’m working on a new book right now, which I’m excited to announce at some point… I’m also really excited about a new form of coaching I’m creating called self-actualization coaching, where we really help people figure out who they most want to be in this world and help them create themselves. I’m really excited for that.
If you’re interested in learning more about Dr. Kaufman’s work, visit his website. His latest book, Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt, can be purchased here.
Anna Ramesh is a first-year student in the BS+MD Program at Drexel University, where she is pursuing a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Writing. In her free time, Anna loves spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and playing/listening to music.