In his efforts to conduct an exact analysis of the constitution of typifications that underlie orientation and practice in the socialized everyday world, Alfred Schütz recognized the necessity of a relevance theory. The selective attention of consciousness, the typifications of the world in the natural attitude, as well as the categories of theoretical interpretation, the peculiar rhythm of imagination and practical action, and the influence on the external world—all these processes ultimately trace back to constellations of interest. But what is interest, or what are the interests that lie behind both automatic cognitive processes, complex motives for action, and theoretical achievements of consciousness? The present study represents the first—except for a sketch based on this study.