What drives human behavior? Three German philosophers offered distinct answers: Schopenhauer’s blind Will to Live, Nietzsche’s ambitious Will to Power, and Frankl’s transcendent Will to Meaning.

After my recent article exploring these philosophies, readers observed that all three are needed, not just one. This prompted a deeper question: How do they work together?

The answer emerged from an unexpected source—Daniel Kahneman’s “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” His dual-process model of System 1 (fast, automatic) and System 2 (slow, deliberate) provides the perfect framework.

This synthesis reveals not just how we think, but why we act—and how to live more wisely.