QUALITY SCHOOL RESOURCES Choice Theory Axioms Workshop from Murray High School
Axiom #6 We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun.
and
Axiom #7 We can satisfy these needs only by satisfying a picture or pictures in our Quality Worlds
Of all we know, what we choose to put into our Quality Worlds
is the most important.
1. Have a student read Axioms #6 and #7 aloud to the rest of the group.
2. (10 min.) Allow students to declare whether or not they agree with these
axioms. Each student should give some examples to
support their opinions.
— Count up how many agree and how many disagree and write the
numbers below:
Agree with Axiom #6 Disagree with Axiom #6
At beginning: _________ _________
At ending: _________ _________
Agree with Axiom #7 Disagree with Axiom #7
At beginning: _________ _________
At ending: _________ _________
3. (10 min.) Brainstorm situations and examples of things we need in order to:
a. survive: i.e. food , water, sleep, air …..
b. love and belonging: i.e. friends, family, boyfriends, girlfriends,
fellow students, colleagues at a job……
c. power: i.e. knowledge, skills, power, money, position,
responsibility, achievement, possessions…….
d. freedom: i.e. leisure time, lack of constraint, transportation, money,
lack of rules, laws for protection….
e. fun: i.e. recreation, enjoyable work, games, sports,
entertainment, films, books, tv, music, parties……..
4. (10 min.) Explain how each of the above is essential or not essential to
fulfill the need.
For example:
a. “In order to have freedom, I must have money.”
b. “In order to have freedom, I need laws to protect me.”
c. “In order to have freedom, I don’t want any rules.”
5. (5 min.) Are there any other needs besides these five? List and explain them.
6. (15 min.) Do some needs have greater priority than others? For example,
survival over fun, or freedom over power, or vice versa?
–Do some needs within a given category have greater power over others?
— within survival, which is a more essential need, air, water, sleep, food?
— love and belonging: which do we need more within a family: mother
or father, brother or sister? Which do we need more — friends or
family? Which is more important, friend or lover?
— power: How great is our need to have power? When do we know we
have sufficient power?
— freedom: Give examples of people who are “free.” Explain this
sentence: People are born free but everywhere we see them in
chains (Rousseau). What gives people the maximum amount of
freedom? — Money? Leisure time? Job security? Friends?
— fun: What are the most fun things to do? Are some types of fun
better or more beneficial than others or are all types of fun
essentially equal?
8. (20 min.) Can you describe your Quality World? (a world made of specific
pictures that portray the best ways to satisfy our needs).
— What people do you most want to be with?
— What things do you most want to own or experience?
— What ideas or beliefs most strongly govern your actions?
9. (10 min.) Why do different people have different Quality Worlds?
10. (10 min.) How do we decide to put something or someone in our Quality
World?
— Do we ever decide to take someone or something out of our QWs?