Prof. Henri Laborit discusses behaviorist ideas of survival, combat, rewards and punishment, and anxiety through the accounts of the lives of three people. René works as a technical manager at a textile plant, and he has to deal with the stress that comes with corporate downsizing. In this film, Janine is a self-educated actor and stylist who discovers that the wife of her lover is dying and must decide whether or not to allow them to reconcile. Jean is a controversial writer/politician who is at a crossroads in her life as she pursues a higher level of success.