THEORY OF TENDENCIES AS BEHAVIORAL MICROFOUNDATIONS
Epigraph
"He that loveth his life (in the original Greek, 'o φιλων την ψυχην' meaning 'loving the soul') shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." — The Gospel of John 12:25
Abstract
This article, like others by the author, discusses Weltanschauung Therapy (WT), a psychotherapeutic approach grounded in understanding the ontological trends within the human psyche. To clarify, Weltanschauung Therapy is a branch of psychotherapy that focuses on the treatment of worldviews. For a comprehensive understanding, readers are encouraged to explore my other lectures and articles, which detail all aspects of the Theory of Tendencies (TT), developed by A. Saez.
Introduction: What Language Does the Soul Speak?
Since the dawn of humanity, we have aspired to expand our consciousness to grasp the nature of the universe and the meaning of life. This pursuit stems from our desire to choose the right model of behavior, striving to transcend selfishness and evil, which are deeply rooted in our souls. We seek to learn how to do good and transform rivalry into love. The word "soul" originally meant "that which gives life." In many languages, it is translated as "life" or "breath." God breathed life into us, but who will teach us—and all of humanity—how to live according to the laws of the universe and achieve happiness?
Throughout history, people have relied on God and His mercy for answers. Philosophical systems then emerged, revealing the types, forms, and patterns of existence. Later, science developed, using mathematics, logic, microscopes, instruments, and computers to study and classify everything that could be observed, measured, or compared. Since 1960, the International System of Units has been used worldwide, comprising kilograms, meters, seconds, amperes, kelvins, moles, and candelas, enabling accurate measurements in the physical world. But why are there precisely seven units in this system, and not more or fewer?
With nature, much became clear. Matter, energy, and movement were defined. The human body, including the head, legs, internal organs, brain, and nervous system, was similarly understood. Communities and societies, with their structures, economies, technologies, ethics, and laws, also revealed few mysteries. However, the spiritual realm (which may be transcendental, metaphysical, or a priori, encompassing conscious and unconscious processes, mental states, aspirations, fantasies, delusions, abilities, and needs) remains elusive and difficult to fully comprehend.
People are diverse, not just in the size of their heads, the number of neurons, or the density of brain structures, but also in how they perceive reality. An international system of units for these aspects remains unfeasible, though I could explain how it might be conceptualized.
Why Isn't Everything Working Well in Our Minds?
The answer is simple. Something exists within us beyond the cerebral cortex and limbic system—something elusive, imperceptible, and invisible, yet somehow connected to all of us. For example, Christ used words to communicate with the Spirit, but words are merely vibrations of air produced by our tongues (bodies, flesh, matter). Where is the "spirit of spirit and flesh of flesh" in this? What else did the Son of God include in His speech, besides sounds and images, to make His Father hear and understand Him? What is this other language our souls comprehend?
Moreover, what is the ultimate reality of all existence? Do nature, society, and humanity share the same fundamental principles of being? How many principles are there, and what are they? From where do anthropology, ontology, epistemology, and axiology originate, and why do we still know so little? How can we live without this knowledge? What rules should we follow in our work, home, and society? Why do we suffer, get sick, and die?
To Think or Not to Think?
Of course, you can choose not to think about these questions. You can simply do what you can and see what happens. You can serve and give rather than dominate and take. You can tell the truth instead of lying. You can help the weak, forgive those who abuse you, and sacrifice for the future. Yet, aside from a few Stoics and righteous individuals, few people live this way anymore. Instead, many do the opposite, quickly losing their so-called mental health and gradually destroying themselves and society, depriving future generations of the right to a happy, harmonious, and serene existence.
But why does no one discuss the root causes of humanity's universal problems? Are they solely due to primitive social structures, imperfect laws, and lack of ethical standards? Is it the domination of capital, private property, tyranny, and plutocracy? Or perhaps it's the result of inadequate planning or declining profit margins? Could it be because our brains have shrunk by 250 grams over the last 2,500 years, leaving us with fewer neurons to think and solve problems?
No, of course not. All our behavioral problems have psychological roots. The best minds throughout history have understood that injustice, wars, and conflicts arise from an inability to think clearly and to understand our nature and each other. It would be wiser not to conflict and destroy one another but to give everyone the opportunity not only to work for the common good, as Plato advised but also to benefit from it, gaining satisfaction and pleasure. In such a world, envy, jealousy, greed, and revenge would cease to exist.
But how do we determine and measure such benefits? A psychotherapist doesn’t have high-resolution tomography or X-rays to search for decision-making areas, nor a computer to trace brain connections, let alone a scalpel, anesthesia, or resuscitation equipment. What instruments do we use to measure conscience, mercy, morality, and justice?
Of course, sooner or later, these can be calculated based on the processing and analysis of large databases, special tests, questionnaires, statistical tools, and computer diagnostics. The key to any knowledge is comparison—you just need to understand what to compare with what.
What Prevents Us from Understanding This Now?
As thinking beings, Homo sapiens, we even have four types of thinking:
We also have a range of subjective emotions that generate an evaluative attitude towards existing or potential situations in the objective world to regulate our chaotic and often unpredictable behavior. But how many of these emotions do we have? How many instincts do we possess, and what are they? Can you list them? Unfortunately, this information isn't typically taught in schools or universities, and it won’t be found on Wikipedia either.
Present-day thinking is guided by a single principle: to minimize mistakes, we can, in addition to our own assessments, create a coherent and consistent worldview—a set of reliable theories, attitudes, and beliefs based on the opinions, discussions, and publications of reputable scientists and international academic communities. This approach has become ingrained in our identities.
For instance, when trying to understand something from our environment, we first ask whether this "something" violates any physical laws or the fundamental principles of universal existence. We then evaluate its properties, such as time, space, discreteness, continuity, isomorphism, and emergence.
Only then do we cautiously proceed to analyze our subjective feelings, perceptions, emotions, and conclusions. This careful approach ensures we avoid making people laugh or disturbing public peace, and prevents us from ending up in a madhouse. To do this, we test various scientific hypotheses and techniques, depending on our research goals and the specific subject matter. We base our approach on experiments and developments in related fields of knowledge.
For example, biologists have convinced us that a person's "self" is a pattern of their brain structure. Therefore, it’s desirable to think using the associative center and frontal lobes, which are designed for thinking, rather than the limbic system, which can only trick, deceive, and appropriate someone else's thoughts, as is the case with all animals, including anthropoids and hominids. However, despite our extensive knowledge, analytical abilities, and adherence to norms and rules, we often slip into hormonal-instinctual thinking and behavior. And apparently, we really like it.
I recall an old university professor, who was a participant in the Russian Revolution and Civil War, who liked to ask his students a simple question: "It took three million years for a monkey to become a human. And how long did it take for a human to become a monkey?" With a twinkle in his eye, he would raise his finger and answer himself: "Only three months. Moreover, that monkey would be more frightening than anything you could imagine."
How Are We Thinking?
The question arises: where does this knowledge-intensive worldview analysis occur? Most of us would say it happens in our consciousness. But what exactly is consciousness? It is our mentality, our intelligence, our natural ability to reflect on what is happening around us and adapt accordingly. In English, "mind" and "consciousness" are often used interchangeably to refer to this concept. There’s also a quantum theory of consciousness, known as Orch OR (Organized Objective Reduction), which suggests that the carriers of consciousness are protein microtubules (MTs) located inside neurons and that the accumulation and processing of information in them is based on the laws of quantum physics. This is worth discussing separately.
Consciousness is usually associated with subjective experiences. That is, if you love or hate someone or something, you think about them, feel their presence, and your mind becomes occupied with their image. If they love or hate you, they think about you, perhaps subconsciously, and your image occupies their mind. We have many different types of consciousness that work in different ways. Among them are human consciousness (mental activity, self-awareness, psychological attitudes, views, beliefs, and intentions), animal consciousness (they understand and appreciate their surroundings and have a sense of purpose and justice), and "cosmic" consciousness (in which the human mind connects with the universe and can receive messages from the cosmos).
But this is not all. The universe also has self-organizing and self-regulating tendencies of existence, development, and transformation. These tendencies are the foundations of life and behavior. Since they are embedded in each of us, it's worth taking a closer look at them. We need to ask, "How do we manage to not only hold on to our reality, our soul, and our worldviews but also to adapt and act on them? Why do we end up behaving irrationally, often contradicting our rational and analytical nature, and what exactly is the force that pushes us in this direction? What, after all, are these tendencies?"
Weltanschauung Therapy (WT): What Is It?
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), psychotherapy aims to relieve symptoms and resolve problems by identifying, analyzing, and eliminating the causes of disturbances in thinking and behavior. In other words, the "brain-mind" (B-M) system, which consists of the central nervous system, structures of consciousness and personality, is a collection of knowledge and techniques for the study, analysis, and regulation of consciousness. This helps us form the most accurate model of reality, a process that involves identifying and understanding the foundations of our worldview and managing our thoughts and behavior.
The main tool of WT is the analysis and classification of tendencies of mental activity. These tendencies are persistent, non-random features, properties, and characteristics of individual consciousness and behavior. They can explain the origin and development of a particular worldview.
The problem of human suffering has been the subject of philosophical and religious thought for millennia. However, only in the last few decades have we begun to study this issue scientifically, based on objective knowledge and evidence-based research. One such area of study is the tendency to form a worldview. Our worldviews shape our perception of reality, our actions, and our choices. They can either help us find meaning and purpose in life or lead us into suffering and despair. This depends on whether our worldviews align with the true nature of reality or are based on false beliefs and misconceptions.
Weltanschauung Therapy seeks to help individuals analyze and understand their worldviews to align them more closely with reality. The key to this process is identifying the tendencies that shape our worldviews and determining how they influence our thoughts and actions. By doing so, we can uncover the roots of our suffering and begin the process of healing.
Conclusion: Understanding the Tendencies
In conclusion, Weltanschauung Therapy offers a unique and valuable approach to understanding the underlying tendencies that shape our worldviews and behavior. By exploring these tendencies, we can better understand ourselves, our motivations, and the forces that drive our actions. This understanding can help us make more informed choices, leading to a more fulfilling and harmonious life.
The journey to self-awareness and alignment with reality is not an easy one, but it is essential for achieving true happiness and inner peace. By embracing the principles of Weltanschauung Therapy and understanding the tendencies within us, we can take the first steps toward a better life for ourselves and future generations.