Robert K. Green, Ph.D., Author at The Emergent Self

Nobody Is Self-Made

A hiker stands alone on a misty hilltop at dawn while faint, ghostly figures along the path below help others climb, steady a ladder, open a gate, and point the way

The phrase “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” began as a joke. Why nobody is truly self-made, and what privilege and intersectionality reveal about success.

The Road Less Traveled: Why Becoming Asks More Than Getting

A hiker stands at a fork between a wide, easy road and a narrow, rocky path climbing into misty woods, with index cards scattered along the narrow path

Why do most of us take the path of least resistance? A dissertation Chair, nine drafts, and a social constructionist look at what it means to become, not just get.

“You’ll Be a Factory Line Worker”: Overcoming Humiliation and Becoming Who You Are

Young man driving through a small town at dusk on graduation night, cap, gown and diploma on the seat beside him

My high school guidance counselor told me I’d be a factory line worker for the rest of my life. Here’s what that moment taught me about humiliation, and about choosing my own story.

Starting Over Later in Life: Why We Never Stop Becoming

Older woman standing in an open doorway, looking out from a cozy room onto sunlit countryside — starting over later in life

We tend to think becoming happens early, and that after middle age we just maintain what we have. My retired friends prove otherwise.