Beyond good and evil Quote by Robert Kegan
““All transitions involve leaving a consolidated self behind before any new self can take its place. At the 4-5 shift this means abandoning - or somehow operating without reliance upon - the form, the group, standard, or convention. For some this leads to feelings of being 'beyond good and evil,' which phenomenologically amounts to looking at that beyondness from the view of the old self, and thus involves strong feelings of evil. Ethical relativism - the belief that there is no (nonarbitrary) basis for considering one thing more right than another - is, on the one hand, the father of tolerance; it stands against the condemning judgment; but it must also stand against the affirming judgment, and so is vulnerable to cynicism. Every transition involves to some extent the killing off of the old self.””
About This Quote
Source Book: In Over Our Heads, Robert Kegan, 1994
Transitions require shedding the old identity before a new one can emerge, often confronting moral ambiguity and vulnerability.
In simple terms: Change needs letting go of the old self.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the discomfort of change.
Themes
identity
growth
ethics
transformation
Mood
reflective
challenging
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- career change
- personal development
- spiritual awakening
- relationship shifts
Key Concepts
psychology
self-concept
relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize the old self’s limits?
- What values guide you when norms dissolve?
A Different Perspective
The process can cause existential anxiety and loss of direction.
