In 'In Over Our Heads,' Robert Kegan explores the complex nature of adult development in a rapidly changing world. He challenges the conventional understanding of growth, suggesting that many adults remain enmeshed in outdated ways of thinking. Kegan introduces a transformative model that reveals how we can elevate our minds to meet the complexities of modern life. Through thought-provoking insights and relatable examples, he illustrates the profound shift that occurs when we embrace a more evolved perspective. Will you dare to step beyond your limitations and discover what lies beyond the surfaces of your current understanding?
By Robert Kegan
Published: 1994
""The real challenge of adult development is not knowledge or skills; it's whether we can grow to understand ourselves and others more deeply, embracing the complexity of our relationships and the world around us.""
Surveying the disparate expert "literatures," which normally take no account of each other, Kegan brings them together to reveal, for the first time, what these many demands have in common. Our frequent frustration in trying to meet these complex and often conflicting claims results, he shows us, from a mismatch between the way we ordinarily know the world and the way we are unwittingly expected to understand it. In Over Our Heads provides us entirely fresh perspectives on a number of cultural controversies - the "abstinence vs. safe sex" debate, the diversity movement, communication across genders, the meaning of postmodernism. What emerges in these pages is a theory of evolving ways of knowing that allows us to view adult development much as we view child development, as an open-ended process born of the dynamic interaction of cultural demands and emerging mental capabilities.
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“"The real challenge of adult development is not knowledge or skills; it's whether we can grow to understand ourselves and others more deeply, embracing the complexity of our relationships and the world around us."”
In Over Our Heads
By Robert Kegan
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Robert Kegan is a renowned developmental psychologist and author known for his groundbreaking work in adult development and learning. He is a professor at Harvard University and a co-founder of the Institute for Collaborative Education. Kegan's notable works include 'The Evolving Self', 'In Over Our Heads', and 'Immunity to Change', where he explores the complexities of human development and the challenges individuals face in navigating personal and professional growth. His writing style is characterized by clear, engaging prose that bridges academic research with practical applications, making his insights accessible to both professionals and lay readers.
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