12 Steps of Human Psychology

Psychology12 Steps TableShorter VersionExplanationsBe AliveRelated Pages6 Groups of Topics10 Skills & Topics

12 Steps of Human Psychology


12 Steps of Human Psychology is a new way of understanding human motivation and actions. If you want to know why you do what you do, this system will help.


  • Ego will help you to recognize, remove, and replace your ego: a.k.a. self-esteem.

“To be poured into without becoming full, and to pour out without becoming empty, without knowing how this is brought about–this is the case of ‘Containing the Light’.” —Chung Tzu

“Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one’s awareness of one’s ignorance.” —Anthony de Mello


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Table: 12 Steps of Human Psychology

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12 Steps of Human Psychology


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Shorter Version of the 12 Steps of Human Psychology

  • Step 1: Commitment Causes Intention
  • Step 2: Intention Causes Hunger
  • Step 3: Hunger Causes Self-Talk
  • Step 4: Self-Talk Causes Actions
  • Step 5: Actions Cause Consequences
  • Step 6: Consequences Cause Interpretations
  • Step 7: Interpretations Cause Evaluations
  • Step 8: Evaluations Cause Rewards or Losses
  • Step 9: Rewards or Loses Cause Emotions
  • Step 10: Emotions Cause Fulfilment or Disappointment
  • Step 11: Fulfilment or Disappointment Causes Intentions
  • Step 12: Intentions Cause Hunger

  • Read for the best diagrams and maps of how people manipulate and control you.

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Explanation of Each of the 12 Steps of Human Psychology

Step 1: Commitment Causes Intention

  • You commit to a goal by going all in, by surrendering to it, by making it your heart’s only desire.
  • Once you commit to a goal, that goal becomes your focus.
  • The combination of commitment, heart, and goal causes an intention.
  • Intention being the unification of heart and goal.

Step 2: Intention Causes Hunger

  • Intention is a force and an idea.
  • To fulfill an intention a desire or hunger is aroused or inflamed.
  • Just as you have a hunger for air, now you have a hunger for a goal.

Step 3: Hunger Causes Self-Talk

  • Hunger is desire and desire needs a target.
  • Hunger also needs a path to its target.
  • Self-talk provides both the target and the path.

Step 4: Self-Talk Causes Actions

  • Self-talk is thinking and thinking is about something.
  • Self-talk makes a plan to achieve a target.
  • Self-talk orders responses to complete the plan.

Step 5: Actions Cause Consequences

  • Actions have reactions or karma.
  • Reactions to your actions are your consequences.
  • Consequences are also often understood as results.

Step 6: Consequences Cause Interpretations

  • Consequences lead to or cause their interpretation.
  • Humans interpret what they experience.
  • Humans interpret what they believe they caused to happen.

Step 7: Interpretations Cause Evaluations

  • Interpretations are not neutral and lead to judgments.
  • Judgments are evaluations based on interpretations.
  • Evaluations of results are a way of understanding results.

Step 8: Evaluations Cause Rewards or Losses

  • Evaluations are simplified into gains or losses.
  • Evaluations are taken to mean positive or negative results.
  • Rewards and loses are known by evaluations of interpretations.

Step 9: Rewards or Loses Cause Emotions

  • Recognizing that goals are won or lost causes emotions.
  • Believing that results are positive or negative causes emotions.
  • Rewards and punishments cause opposite emotions.

Step 10: Emotions Cause Fulfilment or Disappointment

  • Emotions indicate if the goal was fulfilled or thwarted.
  • Emotions are the evidence for satisfaction or disappointment.
  • Emotions are interpreted as proving the goal’s success or failure.

Step 11: Fulfilment or Disappointment Causes Intentions

  • Experiencing goal fulfillment or disappointment brings the related intention to mind.
  • Goal completion or goal thwarting is all about the intention that made the goal.
  • Fulfillment compliments the intention and disappointment damns or doubts the intention.

Step 12: Intentions Cause Hunger

  • Intention causes desire for the completion of the goal.
  • Fulfilled intentions want to have themselves fulfilled again.
  • Thwarted intention want to try again to experience their satisfaction.

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How Do You Know If You Are Actually Alive?

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alive is open


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12 Steps of Psychology


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6 Groups of Topics Menu


  • Read and discover how CBT, REBT, & Stoicism evolved into one system: STPHFR.

on Acceptance


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on Acceptance


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9 Skills & Topics Menu


  • Read and discover how CBT, REBT, & Stoicism evolved into one system: STPHFR.

on Acceptance


  • Read and discover the world’s best breathing exercise for centering and peace of mind.

on Acceptance


  • Read for the best diagrams and maps of how people manipulate and control you.

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