self-transcendence

noun

self-tran·​scen·​dence ˌself-tran(t)-ˈsen-dən(t)s 

: the act of transcending oneself or the capacity to transcend oneself

"If you're going to be a leader, you're going to have to have a very loose relationship with this thing you call 'I' or 'me,'" he shouted. "Maybe … life is not about the self but about self-transcendence!"

—The New York Times

… self-transcendence means that the individual's own needs are put aside to some degree in favor of service to others.

—Jeremy Herschler

And awe itself can lead to what David Yaden, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania's Positive Psychology Centre, describes as self-transcendence—the experience of shedding one's sense of self to feel part of something larger.

—Leigh Ann Henion

self-transcendent

ˌself-tran(t)-ˈsen-dənt 

adjective

self-transcendent values

self-transcendent altruism

self-transcending

ˌself-tran(t)-ˈsen-diŋ 

adjective

self-transcending love

Examples of self-transcendence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Practitioners of jhana report unfettered calmness, clarity of mind and self-transcendence (going beyond the concept of the self and perceiving diminishing boundaries between oneself and others). —Matthew D. Sacchet, Scientific American, 25 June 2024

Specifically, self-transcendent emotions such as awe, gratitude, love, and harmony are associated with more intellectual humility than positive emotions that are unrelated to self-transcendence (e.g., happiness, enthusiasm, and determination). —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Jan. 2024

Art as well as nature enables it: the books heaped on my bed convey something of that desire for self-transcendence, self-forgetfulness. —Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023

The 3100-Mile Race serves as a platform for affirmation of his teachings on self-transcendence, an opportunity to exemplify each participant’s hidden potential. —Ben Pryor, Outside Online, 13 Oct. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above