The science of psychology has become increasingly complicated, making it both impractical and ineffective for the treatment of psychological issues.
Let’s make this shit simple. You don’t need to understand the finer details
The Basis of Behaviour
There are two basic psychological processes that drive ALL human behaviour:
- What do I want?
- How do I get it?
Let’s break these down.
What do I want?
In every moment, people are trying to assess what they want. Their desires vary on two axis.
Goals vs Psychological needs
Goals at the things that most people think about when they think about their desires. They’re real-world manifestations that can be seen, touched, or heard. But goals aren’t the end point. Goals are simply tangible representations of the core desires known as psychological needs. These psychological needs are physical sensations based on how a person perceives themselves in relation to the world around them. They include needs such as:
- Power – The perception that the person can overcome barriers and challenges
- Control – The perception that the person can manipulate significant variables
- Progression – The perception that the person is making progress towards their desire goal
- Contribution – The perception that the person has had an impact on an emotionally significant goal that impacts others
- Freedom to – The perception that the person can pursue intrinsically significant goals
- Freedom from – The perception that the person can escape negative situations and experiences
- Freedom of – the perception that the person can express their thoughts, feelings, and desires
- Connection – The perception that the person is not alone in their journey
- Inclusion – The perception that the person is part of a group
- Acceptance – The perception that the person will not be excluded based on who they are and what they want
- Significance – The perception that the person plays an important role in the lives of others
People only care about getting what they want and so they are constantly evaluating their desires and the pathways to get them.
This is important to understand because it means that if someone has behavioural issues, the behaviour isn’t the actual problem. The behaviour is a solution. It’s a pathway to getting what they want. Telling them ‘Stop doing that!’ doesn’t produce much meaningful change because the person is left without a viable path for fulfilling their desires.
The way to get someone to change their behaviours is to give them a more effective path to getting what they want.