Do We Live by Cause, by Complexity, by Caution—or by Calling?

Luis A. Marrero
Nov 9
5 min read

By Luis A. Marrero, M.A., RODP, LLP.

Systems don’t improve until people do—and people don’t improve until meaning makes improvement necessary.—(Logoteleological maxim)

Introduction

In leadership, coaching, and organizational development, we often ask: Why do people change? Why do they resist? What moves someone to grow, lead, or transform?

Science—particularly neuroscience—has given us powerful tools to understand behavior. Over the last few decades, research on the brain has revolutionized how we think about thinking: how people form habits, regulate emotions, and make decisions.

Yet for all this progress, a deeper question remains:

Are we simply reacting to the forces around us—or are we guided by something greater within?

When it comes to human motivation and transformation, different schools of thought offer very different answers.

Some see behavior as the product of biology and circumstance. Others describe it as the outcome of complexity and adaptation. Still others urge caution, reminding us that science has not yet resolved the mystery of free will.

This article explores these perspectives—and introduces a fourth: Logoteleology, the psychology of meaningful purpose. Logoteleology offers a meaning-centered approach to change—one that places meaningful purpose, awareness, and choice at the center of growth. It proposes that transformation begins not with reaction, but with realization—when meaning awakens the will and behavior aligns with purpose.

While the first three models describe behavior, only the fourth—Logoteleology—explains how people change from the inside out. It describes transformation not as adaptation, but as the reorganization of meaning that gives rise to new will, new identity, and new action. In other words, the first three describe behavior; the fourth explains becoming. Thus, when meaning changes, everything else follows.

Let us see these schools of thought more closely.

1. Living by Cause: Behavior as Mechanism

Deterministic views argue that all behavior is the product of biology, conditioning, and circumstances. Robert Sapolsky (2023) goes as far as to say that free will is an illusion—we only think we’re choosing. This view has scientific credibility but no psychological vitality. It can predict behavior but not inspire it. In workplaces, this shows up when people say, 'That’s just how they are'—as if growth or choice were impossible.

2. Living by Complexity: Behavior as Adaptation

The emergent or compatibilist view suggests that while we’re influenced by our biology, our choices emerge from complexity—from the dynamic interactions of thought, feeling, and context. Neuroscientists point to the prefrontal cortex and the default mode network as key players in how we reflect, plan, and adapt. In leadership and coaching, this aligns with how people evolve through feedback, reflection, and experience.

3. Living by Caution: Behavior as Unresolved

Behavior as Unresolved. Neurophilosophical Caution

Some scholars—such as Adina Roskies and Aaron Schurger—urge caution when interpreting neuroscience. They warn against overclaiming what the data can prove. This is a valuable reminder: the human mind is more than its neural map. But caution alone doesn’t help us move forward. It leaves leaders and coaches without a clear path for helping people make meaningful, lasting change.

4. Living by Calling: Behavior as Meaningful Response

Logoteleology, the psychology of meaningful purpose, offers a different view. It suggests that meaning comes first—before thought, before emotion, before action. In this model, people are not merely reacting to the world—they are responding to a deeper meaning and purpose.

“The brain is an instrument of meaning; it changes in response to what the mind believes is worth changing for.”— Adapted from Richard J. Davidson’s work on neuroplasticity and purpose

Transformation often begins when something disrupts our assumptions—a personal crisis, a powerful insight, or a moment of conscience. This is called an Ethodical Event: a point when we confront the gap between what is and what should be. At that moment, the brain reorganizes how it interprets meaning and priority. Psychologically, it is the spark of awareness that leads to conscious change. In other words, every true transformation begins with an awakening—when we hear the quiet call that says, “You were made for more.” And I firmly believe that we live best when we live by calling.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”— Viktor E. Frankl

From that insight comes a Telosponse—a purposeful response to meaning. That response mobilizes will, reshapes behavior, and over time, rewires the brain through neuroplasticity. This process can be described simply: Meaning → Purposeful Decision → Action → New Neural Pathways.

Comparing Four Ways of Living and Leading

Framework	View of Choice	What Drives Behavior	Role of Meaning	Path to Change
Cause	We don’t really choose.	Biology, environment	None	Conditioning
Complexity	Choice emerges through systems.	Interacting processes	Helpful	Learning and adaptation
Caution	The question is still open.	Brain activity	Possible	Undefined
Calling (Logo-teleology)	We choose in response to meaning.	Personal meaning and purpose	Foundational	Meaning → Action → Growth

The Leadership and Development Implications

Every true transformation begins with an awakening—when we hear the quiet call that says, ‘You were made for more.’

For HR leaders, consultants, and educators, Logoteleology has practical implications:

Coaching: Transformation happens when clients rediscover meaning.
Culture: Organizations thrive when meaningful purpose—not control—drives behavior.
Learning: Adults change more deeply when education connects knowledge to meaningful purpose.
Leadership: Great leaders don’t manipulate; they awaken meaning in others.

Conclusion: Leading by Calling

Science has shown us the mechanics of behavior. But people and organizations do not grow through mechanism—they grow through meaning. Determinism explains the machine. Complexity maps the system. Caution protects the inquiry. But calling inspires transformation. Logoteleology restores the missing piece in human development: meaning as the true origin of will, creativity, and growth.

We live best when we live by calling.

About the Author

Luis A. Marrero, M.A., RODP, LLP, is the founder of the Boston Institute for Meaningful Purpose and the pioneer of Meaningful Purpose Psychology (Logoteleology) and Second Wave Organization Development (OD 2,0). He helps leaders, teams, and organizations design with meaningful purpose and live with clarity. Luis is the author of The Path to a Meaningful Purpose: Psychological Foundations of Logoteleology (2013) and Meaningful Purpose: A Primer in Logoteleology (with Daniel E. Persuitte, 2022).

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