Final answer:
Motive is the term that refers to the overriding desires influencing how people live their lives. These motives, shaped by long-lasting personality traits, drive consistent patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior, ranging from basic needs to complex desires for material or relational gains.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes the overriding desires that drive how people live their lives could refer to several psychological concepts, but one widely recognized term is motive. Motives are the long-standing traits and patterns that propel individuals to consistently think, feel, and behave in specific ways. For instance, Sigmund Freud discussed aspects of human motivation by introducing the idea of the subconscious states of mind, with the Id being the part of the unconscious mind driven by the pleasure seeking (eros) and the obsessive, sometimes self-destructive behavior (thanatos). In a more general context, these motives can manifest in forms of personal choice and freedom, as demonstrated by self-interested behavior and profit-seeking activities, where individuals pursue material or relational goals such as money, property, power, or fame according to their desires and values.
At a basic level, humans may exhibit traits of selfishness, where their behavior is guided by an innate tendency to satisfy their own needs and desires. From looking for sustenance when hungry to striving for rest when tired, and extending to broader social goals, humans typically seek an increase in things that align with their passions and desires. These personal motivations and the freedom to pursue them underpin a great deal of human behavior and are respected as a moral value within societies that value autonomy and individual choice.