The 16 basic desires

that person‘s behavior in their natural environment without needing to know what caused those needs or where they came from.

In conclusion, a life motive is the unit that allows us to determine what motivates people. By definition, a life motive is the subjective component of a universal motive. The term is roughly equivalent to what others call a „human need“ or „intrinsic motive.“ Each life motive has the five characteristics listed in this chapter. To repeat, the origin of life motives is unknown. I assume life motives have a genetic component, although early childhood experiences and probably other experiences may influence them.

We should not let the seemingly endless disposition-environment debate keep us from examining life motives. Rather, we can use knowledge of life motives to predict behavior in its natural setting, even without needing to know what causes those needs or where they come from.