ABSTRACT
T h e h u m a n c o n d i t i o n is, b y a lmos t any d e f i n i t i o n , e x c e p t i o n a l l y c o m p l e x . A l t h o u g h w e r e m a i n a m a z e d at the range o f i n d i v i d u a l d i f ferences that d i s t i n g u i s h ea ch a n d every o n e o f us f r o m the o thers , o n e o f the p u r p o s e s c e n t r a l t o the h u m a n sc iences has b e e n the g e n e r a t i o n o f l aws a n d theo r i e s to desc r i be the c o m - m o n features o f h u m a n ex is tence . It s eems as t h o u g h those o f us w h o t ry to u n d e r s t a n d the h u m a n c o n d i t i o n m u s t s t rugg le to d e a l w i t h the t e n s i o n that exists b e t w e e n t r y ing t o desc r ibe , e x p l a i n , measure , a n d p r e d i c t the c o m m o n a t t r ibutes o f h u m a n be ings o n the o n e h a n d , a n d a p p r e c i a t i n g a n d a c c o u n t i n g fo r i d i o s y n - crat ic i n d i v i d u a l d i f ferences o n the other .
