Relatedness is probably the most powerful need. Frame of
Reference are common ideas and beliefs of looking at the
world. This is when we seek out a belief system or a value
system. We receive our frame of reference from where we
find our relatedness. Without frame of reference there is no
meaning to life. Identity is the next out of the four needs of
mans’ social life which is when you know who you are and
what you stand for. With identity you have to establish your
own uniqueness or identity. Recognizing differences in
others help you to find your own identity. Next comes
transcendence which is rarely achieved and this means to
rise above societies conformities in order to be an
individual. With transcendence there is a risk of losing your
relatedness, and for this not to happen relatedness must
allow you rise above society. A conflict of freedom and
loneliness means that the more that we become
transcendent the more we lose the relatedness. I agree with
Fromm when he states that society corrupts man. I also feel
that the conscious mind dominates over the unconscious. I
do not agree that man is 100% social either. When Fromm
says that the four needs of social life are relatedness, frame
of reference, identity, and transcendence I could not agree
with more. Everyday you see people that have to be well
connected in the social pipeline and without it I do not think
they would function normally. There are plenty of people
that have to be liked and be in a certain group in order to
be mentally stable. People think it is a bad thing when you
are not in the popular group or not cool enough to be liked
and accepted by a certain group. I also do feel that there
are some people who know who they are and what they
stand for. These are the people that survive the longest is
the long run because they know who they are and they will
not change for anything. Realizing other people’s
differences also helps to boost your identity which in turn
causes a person to create their own uniqueness. I think that
I am a perfect example of a person who has all four needs
met at all times and that I know exactly what I am and who
I stand for. I would not change who I am and my behavior
just to fit into the social pipeline. I have to plenty of parties
where there has been everything from drinking to sex and I
have never given in to the peer pressure of drinking,
smoking or anything else while I was there, but I still had all
the fun in the world. The reason why I don’t give in is
because I care about my health I have set values for myself
and I like to follow them exactly like I planned. This way I
will never do something that I would regret. All of Fromm’s
theories are very accurate when it comes to social needs,
but when it comes to human behavior in general I don’t feel
that man is completely social.
Michael Itsines is the next psychologist which is a
mixture between a psychodynamic psychologist and a
behaviorist. I feel that behavior is an upside down iceberg
and consciousness is at the top and the unconscious is on
the bottom. I think that most behavior is conscious. Neither
man or society is bad just at times it seems like one of the
two influences a little more of behavior. I feel that man is
both biological and social. The part that I think is biological
is the part of Freud’s theory where he states there is an ID,
Superego and an Ego. Another thing that I agree with is
Freud’s theory of the Defense Mechanisms. I feel that
mankind uses each one of them in everyday life. Another
thing that is a great example of man being biological is that
at sometimes man can have animal drives and desires. The
only thing that keeps us from behaving like an animal is the
thing that man developed thousands of years ago and that is
rational thought. This is the difference between human and
animal behavior. That’s what separates man from animal.
We do this in order to curb our human nature. Another
reason why I think man partially biological is because of
Carl Jung’s theory of Archetypal complexes which are
genetically transmitted response strategies and I feel that
mankind has this.
On the social side I feel that man is partially motivated by
social needs such the four needs of man’s social life which
are relatedness, frame of reference, identity, and
transcendence. I agree with Fromm on this theory. This is
probably on the most accurate examples of man being a
social creature. Also Adler stated in his theory that social
interests motivate us. Social Interest is an innate drive to be
social and to belong. B.F. Skinner states in his theory that
behavior is driven by external rewards. Also he says that
reinforcement plays a huge role mankind’s behavior. I feel
that man is also driven by the idea of free will which to
Skinner seems to be an illusion. I think mankind has free
will but maybe takes it for granted. Overall I feel that man
can be both good and bad at times but then again so can
society. Sometimes society has a great deal of influence on
human behavior. An example of this would be that man
pushes himself in order to be the best he can be and to
reach the top. Mankind will stop at nothing in order to be
number one. Selfishness and greediness are probably going
to be the downfall of the human race. If mankind could
actually see differences in other people instead of making
them look like something there are not everybody and
everything would be much happier and they would live a
much more fuller life. In my theory I think that mankind
should be much more grateful and appreciative for the
environment that is created and for what they have become
due to their environment. Man’s behavior just can not be
either biological or social because I feel that mankind also
passes on behavior through genetic inheritance. Man has to
be both according to my own theory and I stand by it.