Sigmund Freud’s (1915) exploration of the life (Eros) and death (Thanatos) instincts sits at the heart of his evolving drive theory, offering a powerful framework for understanding the dynamic forces that shape human existence; by proposing that behaviour emerges from the interplay between life-sustaining drives, those oriented toward creativity, connection, and preservation, and destructive impulses that push toward dissolution and return to an inorganic state, Freud laid the groundwork for later psychoanalytic models that view motivation as a constant negotiation between these opposing currents. Recognising this tension, rather than resisting or denying it, can support personal wellbeing by helping individuals make meaning of conflicting desires, cultivate self-awareness, and learn to channel instinctual energy into constructive pursuits. At the societal level, Freud’s insights encourage the creation of cultural, educational, and political structures that provide symbolic, relational, and creative outlets for drive-based tensions, thereby reducing the likelihood that unintegrated destructive impulses erupt into violence and increasing the potential for collective vitality and psychological health. The recognition that there are powerful forces of life and death operating in humanity lies at the heart of a Christian understanding. Only one event offers a full and lasting solution to this conflict: the Cross of Christ.