Werner Erhard: Discovering the Man Redefining What’s Possible
Jan 19, 2022
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In this enlightening discussion, Werner Erhard, the founder of the transformative Erhard Seminar Training (EST), reflects on his journey of self-discovery and personal development. He explores the origins of EST, diving deep into the contrast between performance and true personal identity. The conversation covers the unconscious influences from childhood that shape behavior and the potential for growth in corporate cultures through compassion and authenticity. Erhard emphasizes the power of kindness in personal healing and the importance of genuine human connections.
Werner Erhard emphasizes the shift from performance-driven goals to understanding one's true identity is essential for personal growth.
His experiences highlight the importance of compassion in fostering genuine relationships and facilitating meaningful life changes.
Deep dives
The Journey of Self-Discovery
Werner Erhard shares his transformative journey from a successful salesman to a seeker of deeper meaning in life. He reflects on leaving his family to explore existential questions, driven by a desire for personal growth rather than dissatisfaction with his past. Erhard's experiences shifted his focus from performance-oriented goals to understanding his true identity and essence. This journey included influences from literature, psychology, and his encounters with Zen philosophy, which sparked a profound internal change.
The Role of Reality Therapy
The concept of Reality Therapy, introduced to Erhard through the work of William Glasser, played a pivotal role in his transformation. This approach shifted his perspective from justifying actions through excuses to confronting the reality of one's existence and choices. Erhard emphasizes the importance of understanding one's own limitations and the potential for personal growth through honest self-reflection. This shift also paved the way for his later work in personal development and the establishment of EST.
Understanding Ontology vs. Psychology
Erhard distinguishes his work from traditional psychological models, framing it instead as an exploration of ontology – the study of being. He asserts that while psychology concerns itself with behaviors and mental states, his focus is on the essence of existence and what it means to truly 'be.' This ontological approach allows individuals to step beyond their habitual ways of thinking and acting, enabling transformative experiences. Participants often find that their circumstances remain unchanged, but their relationships to those circumstances drastically shift.
Compassion and Human Connection
Throughout the discussion, the theme of compassion emerges as a cornerstone of human connection and personal growth. Erhard recounts a poignant experience where he supported an employee through a heroin withdrawal, highlighting the profound impact of simply being present for someone in need. This act of ruthless compassion emphasizes the necessity of deep care and empathy in fostering genuine relationships. The conversation ultimately underlines that caring for others is essential to embracing one's humanity and facilitating meaningful life changes.
Everyone has questioned who they are and what their purpose is at one point or another, but very few of us have left our spouse and four children behind to head West and go look for some answers.
But then not many of us are comparable to Werner Erhard, developer of Erhard Seminar Training (EST), later Landmark Forum.
“What motivated me was to discover something that actually made a difference. And for a long time it was about performance. And then it morphed from performance into who am I really? What is it to be really, and just the sense that there was something well beyond what was available to me.”
In this episode of Into The Magic Shop, Werner shares what drives his desire for self-development and his passion for helping others with their own journeys, through the creation of EST.
“It's a fact that we get into this groove over time. Now, some people have a very successful groove. And others of us have either a less than successful or even a disastrous groove. That's not who anybody is really. And the work that I've been able to develop allows people to complete that aspect of themselves by owning it.”
So just how do you transform yourself? And is it possible for anyone to get to simply being? These are the questions Jim and Werner explore in this incredibly illuminating episode. So if you want to be free to be and free to act, instead of being burdened by the reality in which you live, download and listen today.
On today’s podcast:
The origin of EST
Looking to discover rather than know
Why EST has expanded into corporate training
What ruthless compassion really is
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