Final answer:
Freud believed that two primary drives, the life instinct (Eros) and the death instinct (Thanatos), motivate our behaviors. Eros includes the pursuit of pleasure and can manifest as aggression in the quest for dominance, while Thanatos expresses itself through aggression and self-destructive behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sigmund Freud proposed that two fundamental drives power our lives and are responsible for our actions: the life instinct (Eros) and the death instinct (Thanatos). The life instinct, or Eros, is the drive for pleasure, which encompasses sexual desire, the need for security, and basic drives such as hunger and thirst.
The death instinct, or Thanatos, is described by Freud as the drive for aggression and self-destruction. It represents an unconscious wish to die or to hurt oneself or others. This instinct is often expressed indirectly through aggression, risk-taking behaviors, and acts of self-sabotage.