What it is
Late in his life, Abraham Maslow added a level above self-actualization in his hierarchy of needs: self-transcendence, finding fulfillment in serving something beyond yourself, like other people, a cause or meaning itself. Mark Koltko-Rivera’s 2006 paper brought that late addition back into view.
It changes the top of the pyramid from “become your best self” to “give your best self away.”
How it shows up for me
I use it as a lens on my impulses: does this make me more than myself, or does it only protect me? When I’m angry at a tech company, I can just feel contempt, or I can turn it into an essay or a lesson for my kids. The second one is transcendence. The first one is just a mood.