The Tripartite Motivational Human Essence

This chapter argues that the human essence can be understood as the functioning of three fundamental motives working together — value, control, and truth. It shows that each of these motives represents an independent source of goal pursuit, and that each, in its fulfillment, represents a unique factor in the achievement of well-being. It also argues that effectiveness in each of these motivational domains is inherently related to effectiveness in each of the others, such that achievement of full effectiveness in any of them entails effectiveness in all of them.