TPP 482: Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman on Moving Beyond a Victim Mindset

Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

Debbie Reber

Education, Kids & Family, Parenting

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today’s conversation is all about shifting from a mindset of limitation to one of empowerment and possibility. My guest is Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist, professor, and bestselling author whose work focuses on helping all kinds of minds live creative, fulfilling, and self-actualized lives. In our conversation, Scott shares insights from his latest book, Rise Above, which explores the concept of the victim mindset and how we can move beyond it. We talk about the role of neurodivergence in shaping perspective, the traps of learned helplessness and rejection sensitivity, and the character strengths that help us cultivate resilience and personal growth. Scott also reflects on his own journey toward empowerment and what it means to truly rise above our limitations—both real and perceived. About Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman is a psychologist, coach, professor, keynote speaker, and best-selling author who is passionate about helping all kinds of minds live a creative, fulfilling, and self-actualized life. He 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 and is widely considered among the top psychology podcasts in the world. Things you'll learn from this episode How Scott Barry Kaufman’s personal experiences shaped Rise Above and his exploration of the victim mindset Why a victim mindset is not fixed—and how self-empowerment and learned hopefulness can transform it How rejection sensitivity and cognitive distortions can reinforce feelings of victimhood, especially in children Why leveraging character strengths and modeling emotional flexibility builds resilience and growth How an empowerment mindset helps individuals take ownership of their challenges and personal development Why self-compassion and realistic expectations are essential parts of the ongoing journey toward self-actualization Resources mentioned Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman’s website Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential by Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD Via Institute on Character VIA Youth-103 (Age 13-17) (Currently being tested) Dr. David Yeager on the Science of Motivating Young People (Full-Tilt Parenting) 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―And Making Your Own Life Easier by David Yeager, PhD Mindset: How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential by Carol Dweck Dr. Tamar Chansky on Children & Negative Thinking (Tilt Parenting episode) Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking: Powerful, Practical Strategies to Build a Lifetime of Resilience, Flexibility, and Happiness by Dr. Tamar Chansky Dr. Sharon Saline on Understanding Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) in Tweens and Teens (Tilt Parenting episode) Dr. David Yeager on the Science of Motivating Young People (Tilt Parenting episode) 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―And Making Your Own Life Easier by David Yeager, PhD Victim Culture & Self-Actualization (Scott on the Last Meal with Tom Nash podcast) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:32.1	I'm Debbie Reber and this is Fultilled Parenting and also a little side note. This is the first
0:36.8	episode of 2026 and 2026 marks 10 years since I started this show. The official anniversary date is in April,
0:44.5	but it's going to be a year of powerful conversations and we're kicking it off strong with this one
0:50.1	today. I have a really fascinating conversation for you with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman. He's a
0:56.0	psychologist, a professor, and a bestselling author who's perhaps best known for redefining how we
1:01.2	understand intelligence and human potential beyond traditional IQ-based models. This is Scott's
1:06.8	second time on the show, but I had to bring him back to talk about his super interesting new book,
1:12.2	Rise Above, Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself and Realize Your Full Potential,
1:18.0	which explores the concept of the victim mindset and how we can move beyond it.
1:22.5	Scott's currently teaching at Columbia University, where he directs the Center for Human Potential,
1:28.1	and he's also the host of the Psychology podcast, which is one of the most popular psychology shows in the world
1:32.8	with more than 30 million downloads. I found rise above incredibly thought-provoking, and I loved
1:39.0	exploring some of the ideas inside with Scott, who is deeply inquisitive and also loves to challenge norms,
1:46.0	even norms within the neurodivergent space. So this conversation has a bit of a different vibe
1:51.0	than a typical full-tilt parenting episode in that it's about so much more than parenting
1:55.8	our neurodivergent kids. It's really about exploring things like mindset and potential and temperament
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