“The three great life tasks are work, love, and social contribution. All three are rooted in human cooperativeness, which itself is a consequence of the fact that human beings live together in groups.”
—
Alfred Adler
What Life Should Mean to You (1931), Little, Brown; also Understanding Life (1929)
Commentary
Adler identifies cooperation as the foundation of psychological health. Humans are fundamentally social; our well-being depends on successful engagement with the three life tasks. Neurosis, delinquency, and suicide all correlate with failure in these domains.
This framework remains influential in clinical assessment. Therapists evaluate clients' work life, relational life, and social engagement. Problems in one domain typically spread to others (unemployment → isolation → depression). Adlerian therapy fosters 'courage' to engage meaningfully in all three.
Commentary
Adler identifies cooperation as the foundation of psychological health. Humans are fundamentally social; our well-being depends on successful engagement with the three life tasks. Neurosis, delinquency, and suicide all correlate with failure in these domains.
This framework remains influential in clinical assessment. Therapists evaluate clients' work life, relational life, and social engagement. Problems in one domain typically spread to others (unemployment → isolation → depression). Adlerian therapy fosters 'courage' to engage meaningfully in all three.