Episode 465: Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman: Why Everyone's Playing Victim (And How to Stop)

Habits and Hustle

Jen Cohen and Habit Nest

Education, Health & Fitness, Business, Self-improvement, Entrepreneurship

4.4 • 763 Ratings

🗓️ 8 July 2025

⏱️ 75 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Are we living in a victim culture? Cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman thinks so - and his new book "Rise Above" is the antidote we desperately need. In this Habits and Hustle episode, Scott and I dive into what separates those who rise above their circumstances from those who stay stuck. We discuss the difference between being victimized and having a victim mindset, explain why vulnerable narcissism is worse than grandiose narcissism, and reveal how "affirming therapy" might actually be keeping people trapped. Plus, Kaufman shares his sailboat model of self-actualization and why psychological flexibility is the key to resilience. Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive psychologist, author, and podcaster who teaches at Columbia University. His research focuses on intelligence, creativity, and human potential. He's the author of several books including "Ungifted" and runs the Center for Human Potential coaching program. What We Discuss: (01:00) Self-Actualization and Overcoming Victim Mindset (10:05) The Complexity of Narcissism Mindset (14:37) Rise Above (29:40) Understanding Victim Mindset and Toxic Activism (37:49) Left-Wing Authoritarianism and Victim Mindset (44:45) Therapy Trends and Personal Growth (52:34) The Psychology of Polarization and Shame (58:52) Cultivating Psychological Flexibility and Identity Evolution (01:08:41) The Importance of Curiosity in Intelligence …and more! Thank you to our sponsors: Momentous: Shop this link and use code Jen for 20% off Therasage: Head over to therasage.com and use code Be Bold for 15% off TruNiagen: Head over to truniagen.com and use code HUSTLE20 to get $20 off any purchase over $100. Magic Mind: Head over to www.magicmind.com/jen and use code Jen at checkout. Bio.me: Link to daily prebiotic fiber here, code Jennifer20 for 20% off. David: Buy 4, get the 5th free at davidprotein.com/habitsandhustle. Find more from Jen: Website: https://www.jennifercohen.com/ Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: https://www.jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: https://www.jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagement Find more from Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman: Website: https://scottbarrykaufman.com/ Instagram: @scottbarrykaufman

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, guys. It's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits and Hustle. Crush it.
0:10.2	Before we dive into today's episode, I first want to thank our sponsor, Therasage. Their tri-light
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0:23.6	that I simply cannot live without. I literally bring it with me everywhere I go. And I personally
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1:51.6	Music bold for 15% off any of their products. Okay, so today we have somebody that I've been trying to get on for a long time.
1:53.7	I don't know if you know that or not. I didn't know that. I didn't know that.
1:54.9	Okay. It's Scott Barry Kaufman. He's a cognitive psychologist.
1:59.1	Yeah.
1:59.4	His work is just really good. I don't even know how
	...

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