What does Kegan say about becoming an adult?

What does Kegan say about becoming an adult?

According to Kegan, becoming an adult isn’t about learning new things (adding things to the ‘container’ of the mind), it’s about transformation — changing the way we know and understand the world (changing the actual form of our ‘container’). Transformation is akin to a “personal Copernican shift”.

Who is Robert Kegan and what does he do?

Robert Kegan, Professor at Harvard University is a world leading expert on adult development and co-author of a ground breaking book – “Immunity to Change”. He was recently in Australia and deliberatepractice had the opportunity to participate in a workshop exploring his research.

When did Robert Kegan write the evolving self?

Kegan (Robert) introduced his theory of self-evolution in 1982 in his book, The Evolving Self. In his later book, In over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life (1994), he presented a revised version of his theory and further discussion of the implications of his work for society.

What was the focus of Kegan’s theory of consciousness?

Kegan’s Theory The focus of Kegan’s (1994) theory is the “evolution of consciousness, the personal unfolding of ways of organizing experience that are not simply replaced as we grow but subsumed into more complex systems of mind” (p. 9).

Why do we need to know Kegan’s stages 2-5?

Part 1 will outline Kegan’s Stages 2–5 because being aware of the different Stages can help us better understand ourselves and the people around us (friends, partners, children, etc.) and gives us something to aspire to. I encourage you to read each stage carefully and think about which stage you’re in, and where you’d like to be.

What did Kegan see in each succeeding order?

Each succeeding order consists of cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal components. Kegan (1982, 1994) saw the process of development as an effort to resolve the tension between a desire for differentiation and an equally powerful desire to be immersed in one’s surroundings (Kegan, 1994).

What did John Kegan do for a living?

Kegan especially valued “building strong intellectual bridges” (Scharmer, 2000, n.p.) to educational practice, leadership, and organizational development.