Yesterday, we developed the basic structure of our mental model relating the aggressive, pleasure, and generative drive to generative or (when our generative drive is too low) destructive behaviour. Today, we will start to implement the first important feedback mechanisms that enable us to turn the ‘concept of the drives’ into a practically-applicable theory.
Before getting into this aspect of the model in more detail, I will make a small adjustment to our current diagram. Specifically, I will remove the links from domineering and pleasure-seeking behaviour to generative behaviour. This aspect will come back when we finalise the model tomorrow, albeit in a different form. After doing so, this is the qualitative diagram we end up with:
Similar to yesterday, I want to start by exploring the ‘aggression-side of the model.’ The motivation to do something comes, at least in my case, from the expectation that the thing I do leads to some kind of result, something that makes the effort worthwhile.
To add this aspect to the model we can integrate a new variable titled ‘generative output.’ When my generative behaviour leads to generative output, this gives me a sense of agency1. The feeling associated with the ability to have an impact on the world by doing things, directly corresponds to the aggressive drive. As such, we find our first reinforcing feedback loop:
[R1] empowerment: the reinforcing cycle through which the impact of ones actions motivate further action.
However, this sense of agency doesn’t need to come from generative output. Again, agency simply entails the feeling that your actions have a causal impact on the world. These actions can just as well be destructive. Consequently, we can connect this directly to the variable entailing domineering behaviour, yielding yet another reinforcing feedback loop.
[R2] over-aggression: the reinforcing cycle where a growth of the aggressive drive beyond the generative drive leads to destructive behaviour.
Looking again at the other side of the model—the pleasure-side—another reinforcing mechanism comes into play. Our brains are wired to crave things that are pleasurable, corresponding directly to the pleasure drive. Pleasure is a direct outcome of pleasure-seeking behaviour, but also emerges from generative behaviour by means of fulfillment. This is reflected in feedback loop R3 and R4 respectively.
[R3] hedonic reinforcement: the reinforcing, dopamine-fueled craving for pleasurable experiences.
[R4] fulfillment: the reinforcing cycle where the pleasurable feeling of doing something fulfilling motivates further generative behaviour.
Of course, we are leaving out many-many things here. The goal however is not to develop a complete overview of the human psyche, but merely to develop a model that is comprehensive enough to explain our behaviour (and help us change it) but simple enough to make sense.
Tho this end, there is one important aspect that I will add tomorrow.
Something I haven’t quite figured out is this: the pleasure drive and aggressive drive are modulated by the pleasure we experience and our sense of agency respectively. Is there also something that modulates the generative drive?
I cannot immediately think of something, except perhaps how the anticipation of doing something generative will lead to generative output and fulfillment. In some way, this translates to knowing what we want to do (knowing what fulfills us) and achieve (knowing what output will be most generative), and aligning our actions accordingly. This is exactly what we do when we develop our inner philosophy (or inner compass), as we do meticulously in an exercise described in my earlier work. If you are interested, you can find that exercise here.
Footnotes
- Sense of agency can be cognitively defined as the experience of having a causal impact on the world accompanied by a feeling of having control over one's actions. (from: Clinical Psychology Review, 2023)
