Final answer:
The word 'transcend' means to go beyond the normal physical experience or understanding, and is closely associated with transcendentalism, a belief that surpasses sensory experience to realize deeper insight. It also applies to personal growth, such as in gerotranscendence, the idea that the elderly can transcend earlier life views to attain wisdom and connection with the world.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term transcend in various contexts implies going beyond the range or limits of a physical experience or conceptual understanding. When discussing transcendentalism, to transcend means surpassing rational, sensory experience to attain a deeper, often spiritual or intellectual, insight. The notion of transcendentalism emphasizes that all individuals have the potential to achieve an understanding that transcends the ordinary and evidential aspects of life.
This was a key component during the Second Great Awakening, where individuals were encouraged to shape their own destinies and potentially control their own salvation. On a more philosophical level, transcendentalism is associated with a form of idealism, suggesting that foundational truths exist beyond the empirical and can be accessed through intuition or inner spiritual experience.
Lastly, in the social context exemplified by Tornstam's theory of gerotranscendence, transcend is used to describe the process where the elderly surpass previous limited views of life, becoming less self-centered and more connected to the world, highlighting the transformation that aligns with aging.