The first – from a healthy childhood perspective – is security.
When a person is in security they can function.
The next zone is the search for meaning.
As Maslow’s hierarchy teaches, it is only after we have security that we can focus on the search for a meaningful life.
The third zone is unfortunately, insecurity.
The human psyche is wired first and foremost to find security.
The famous Helsinki syndrome is a classis example of this.
The FBI investigating hundreds of hostage situations found that insecure people were the ones who fall for the Helsinki syndrome.
(In case you don’t know, it is when the victim identifies with the aggressor, like a child who identifies with even an abusive parent as he believes his security is better off with, rather than without this person – whereas people who have a knowledge that the world is secure wouldn’t tolerate abuse.)
So in the end of the day, all human behavior can neatly fit into this pattern.
When we are secure, we desire meaning in life.
When we are insecure, we desire security, being willing to go to heinous behaviors as the rational mind is eliminated and merely the instinctual survival mechanism has kicked in.