Ancient philosophers and modern psychologists share the concept of a three-part mind with separate domains for thinking, feeling, and doing. The conative or doing part contains the striving instincts that drive a person's natural way of taking action, or modus operandi (MO). This is the unique set of innate strengths and talents every person has that remains unchanged from birth. Everyone has an equal amount of conative energy for engaging the thinking (cognitive) and feeling (affective) parts of the mind to produce purposeful action.

The mind controls the actions stimulated by the Will and transmitted by the striving instincts. Every Individual has three mental faculties: Cognitive or intellectual, which controls thought; Affective or emotional, which controls feelings; Conative or functional, which controls actions.