The Never
Ending Quest
"At each stage of human existence the adult man is off
on his quest of his holy grail, the way of life he seeks
by which to live. At his first level he is on a quest for
automatic physiological satisfaction. At the second level
he seeks a safe mode of living, and this is followed in
turn, by a search for heroic status, for power and glory,
by a search for ultimate peace; a search for material pleasure,
a search for affectionate relations, a search for respect
of self, and a search for peace in an incomprehensible world.
And, when he finds he will not find that peace, he will
be off on his ninth level quest. As he sets off on each
quest, he believes he will find the answer to his existence.
Yet, much to his surprise and much to his dismay, he finds
at every stage that the solution to existence is not the
solution he has come to find. Every stage he reaches leaves
him disconcerted and perplexed. It is simply that as he
solves one set of human problems he finds a new set in their
place. The quest he finds is never ending."
-- Dr. Clare W. Graves
Levels of Existence, Forms of Being
"I am not saying in this conception of adult behavior
that one style of being, one form of human existence is
inevitably and in all circumstances superior to or better
than another form of human existence, another style of being.
What I am saying is that when one form of being is more
congruent with the realities of existence, then it is the
better form of living for those realities. And what I am
saying is that when one form of existence ceases to be functional
for the realities of existence then some other form, either
higher or lower in the hierarchy, is the better form of
living. I do suggest, however, and this I deeply believe
is so, that for the overall welfare of total man's existence
in this world, over the long run of time, higher levels
are better than lower levels and that the prime good of
any society's governing figures should be to promote human
movement up the levels of human existence."
-- Dr. Clare W. Graves
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