Its strivings towards totality and certainty led to an increasing instrumentalization of reason. The latter finding revealed that self-verification strivings may sometimes trump positivity strivings. Hence, for the Jews their history has become "spiritual strivings" and cultural contributions. Self-verification strivings may also influence the social contexts that people enter into and remain in. Chapter I, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings", lays out an overview of Du Bois's thesis. The four stages of life complete the four human strivings in life, according to Hinduism. This is the goal, the "ultima Thule," of all human strivings. Aum, as this book says, was a synthesis of sonant strivings. Although self-verification strivings tend to stabilize people's self-views, changes in self-views may still occur. The universal energy attracts the creative strivings.