--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...Freud's theory of…" description: "\"“...Freud's theory of self-determination...argues that human beings need three things in order to be content: They need to feel competent at what they ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/029/billy-baker-223479_authenticity_freud-s-theory-of-self-determination-arg_1815548.jpg" --- # ...Freud's theory of self-determination...argues that… ![“...Freud's theory of self-determination...argues that human beings need three things in order to be content: They need to feel competent at what they do; they need to feel authentic in their lives; and they need to feel connected to others. He considered these three pillars--autonomy, competence…” quote by Billy Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/029/billy-baker-223479_authenticity_freud-s-theory-of-self-determination-arg_1815548.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/029/billy-baker-223479_authenticity_freud-s-theory-of-self-determination-arg_1815548.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/029/billy-baker-223479_authenticity_freud-s-theory-of-self-determination-arg_1815548.jpg) > ““...Freud's theory of self-determination...argues that human beings need three things in order to be content: They need to feel competent at what they do; they need to feel authentic in their lives; and they need to feel connected to others. He considered these three pillars--autonomy, competence, and community--to be intrinsic to human happiness.”” [Billy Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-baker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human happiness rests on autonomy, competence, and community connection. **In simple terms:** Three pillars of fulfillment. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑direction, skill, and relationships. Themes autonomy competence community happiness psychology Mood reflective educational Type Authenticity:1 Autonomy:1 Community:1 Connection-to-others:1 Freud:0 Happiness:1 Human happiness:1 Personal-competences:0 Self determination:1 Three things:0 Theory Self:0 Freud Theory:0 Pillars Autonomy:0 Determination Argues:0 When to use this quote - personal growth - workplace design - education - mental health - community planning Key Concepts self‑determination intrinsic motivation social belonging Questions to Reflect On - Which pillar needs your focus? - How can you strengthen it? A Different Perspective Neglecting any pillar reduces well‑being. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authenticity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) [Autonomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autonomy/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Connection-to-others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connection-to-others/) [Determination Argues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination-argues-2150864/) [Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freud/) [Freud Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freud-theory-2150862/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Human happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-happiness/) [Personal-competences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-competences-142977/) [Pillars Autonomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pillars-autonomy-2150863/) [Self determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-determination/) [Theory Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory-self-2116835/) [Three things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-things/) ## Related quotes > [“Strategic personal qualities you can base your self-confidence on are those which are interesting for all mankind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rossana-condoleo/strategic-personal-qualities-you-can-base-your-self-confidence-on-are/) [Rossana Condoleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rossana-condoleo/) > [“But the basis of Freud's ideas aren't accepted by all philosophers, though many accept that he was right about the possibility of unconscious thought.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-warburton/but-the-basis-of-freud-s-ideas-aren-t-accepted-by-all-philosophers/) [Nigel Warburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-warburton/) > [Freud's theory was that when a joke opens a window and all those bats and bogeymen fly out, you get a marvellous feeling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-dodd/freud-s-theory-was-that-when-a-joke-opens-a-window-and-all-those-bats/) [Ken Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-dodd/) > [My theory of self-made men is, then, simply this; that they are men of work. Whether or not such men have acquired material, moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/my-theory-of-self-made-men-is-then-simply-this-that-they-are-men-of/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have a theory that self-made, first-generation actresses don't feel entitled to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-have-a-theory-that-self-made-first-generation-actresses-don-t-feel/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [“In Freud’s theory, the wish-producing, fear-generating power of these body parts lies within them, not, with their strategic position within a historically specific, male-dominant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ned-katz/in-freud-s-theory-the-wish-producing-fear-generating-power-of-these/) [Jonathan Ned Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ned-katz/) > [“The self embodies what the culture believes is humankind's place in the cosmos-- its limits, talents, expectations and prohibitions... There is no universal, trans-historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-cushman/the-self-embodies-what-the-culture-believes-is-humankind-s-place-in/) [Philip Cushman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-cushman/) > [Every theory is a self-fulfilling prophecy that orders experience into the framework it provides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-hubbard/every-theory-is-a-self-fulfilling-prophecy-that-orders-experience/) [Ruth Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-hubbard/) > [“I've always thought that Freud's theory of penis envy was fairly ridiculous -- but I'm absolutely certain that if you put a piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-ve-always-thought-that-freud-s-theory-of-penis-envy-was-fairly/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [“You cannot force a person to see you as someone they want to open up to; you cannot force a person to see you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/you-cannot-force-a-person-to-see-you-as-someone-they-want-to-open-up/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“Why do we fight, Kal? Why do we keep going?” “I don’t know,” Kaladin whispered. “I’ve forgotten.” “It’s so we can be with each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/why-do-we-fight-kal-why-do-we-keep-going-i-don-t-know-kaladin/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Connection is how I grow. Connection is how we grow. Connected is what we are: part of a worldwide community, diverse and magnificent, kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-verde-peter-h-reynolds/connection-is-how-i-grow-connection-is-how-we-grow-connected-is-what/) [Susan Verde; Peter H. Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-verde-peter-h-reynolds/) > [“Relationships have the greatest impact on our happiness. There is an energy that exists between humans that increases connection and allows for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-lechner/relationships-have-the-greatest-impact-on-our-happiness-there-is-an/) [Tamara Lechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-lechner/) > [“If you cannot wait for time to unearth roots, you must dig.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelou-keramati/if-you-cannot-wait-for-time-to-unearth-roots-you-must-dig/) [Nelou Keramati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelou-keramati/) > [“By the time they'd finished their tea, they were almost in love with each other — not quite yet, because true love took time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-f-kuang/by-the-time-they-d-finished-their-tea-they-were-almost-in-love-with/) [R.F. Kuang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-f-kuang/) ## More Authenticity quotes > [“the property that grounded the self in Romanticism was sincerity, and in modernism was authenticity, then in postmod ernism it is visibility.10”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/the-property-that-grounded-the-self-in-romanticism-was-sincerity-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Real artists offer authenticity, not just money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhymefest/real-artists-offer-authenticity-not-just-money/) [Rhymefest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhymefest/) > [“I figure the more people think I'm just mildly weird, the less likely they are to know how weird I really am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-hooyenga/i-figure-the-more-people-think-i-m-just-mildly-weird-the-less-likely/) [Melanie Hooyenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-hooyenga/) > [I think people can read authenticity and they know when you're involved and when you're just slapping your name on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-la-anthony/i-think-people-can-read-authenticity-and-they-know-when-you-re/) [La La Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-la-anthony/) > [“I strive for authenticity even though it brings with it vulnerability and the inevitable judgment of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-r-w-lee/i-strive-for-authenticity-even-though-it-brings-with-it-vulnerability/) [L.R.W. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-r-w-lee/) > [Children go where they find sincerity and authenticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantona/children-go-where-they-find-sincerity-and-authenticity/) [Eric Cantona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantona/) > [Accepting the reality of our sinfulness means accepting our authentic self. Judas could not face his shadow; Peter could. The latter befriended the impostor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/accepting-the-reality-of-our-sinfulness-means-accepting-our-authentic/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, focus your energy on what you can create.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bennett/instead-of-worrying-about-what-you-cannot-control-focus-your-energy/) [Roy Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-bennett/) > [Anything that I ever do is from the heart and authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-carlisle/anything-that-i-ever-do-is-from-the-heart-and-authentic/) [Belinda Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-carlisle/) > [What I love about Nivea is they're all about authenticity. The brand isn't pretending to be anything it isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-virtue/what-i-love-about-nivea-is-they-re-all-about-authenticity-the-brand/) [Tessa Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-virtue/) > [There is nothing which so certifies the genuineness of a man's faith as his patience and his patient endurance, his keeping on steadily in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-which-so-certifies-the-genuineness-of-a-man-s-faith/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're really famous, there's very little authenticity in people, so you prefer the company of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-ryan/when-you-re-really-famous-there-s-very-little-authenticity-in-people/) [Katherine Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-ryan/) > [“We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time—inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-could-not-be-fulfilled-if-we-weren-t-inauthentic-some-of-the-time/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [No man knows the genuineness of his convictions until he has sacrificed something for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/no-man-knows-the-genuineness-of-his-convictions-until-he-has/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) [Browse all 1,437 Authenticity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...Freud's theory of self-determination...argues that human beings need three things in order to be content: They need to feel competent at what they do; they need to feel authentic in their lives; and they need to feel connected to others. 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