Some seek to feel valued and add value, like Molesley and Alicia Garza. Others, like Linda Tirado, fear being devalued. Muhammad Yunus and Oprah’s father understood the need to provide people with dignity; they were motivated by the need to add value.
Most human behavior can be explained by the need to either feel valued or add value, the twin engines of mattering. Some behaviors are driven by the pursuit of a positive experience, like feeling valued (Molesley) or adding value (Yunus, Garza); while others are driven by the avoidance of a negative experience, like feeling devalued (Linda).
Cultures that extol personal importance above all else lead to obsessive self-preoccupation. Paradoxically, this incessant interest in oneself results in meaninglessness and pathological attempts to gain praise and recognition, like Donald Trump. Compulsive preoccupation with one’s status and prestige results in alienation from others and the destruction of social bonds. Entitlement comes with a very heavy social price.
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