We do the things that we do because we are motivated. Motivation is the sole thing that drives us to our goals. Motivation is the result of process, internal or external, of an individual that give rises to arousement, creating persistent and enthusiasm to pursue a certain goal. When we feel motivated, we created an unsatisfied need which imbalance the equilibrium. We desire to reach our goal to regain the equilibrium by the satisfaction that we would achieve.
Why are we motivated? There are many different factors to our motivation. It could be that we are interested in something. It could be that we set a goal and we want to achieve it. It could be a dream that we aspire. It could might as well be something that imbalance the equilibrium (dissatisfaction), and we aim to get rid of it. If we never had motivation in our lives, we would be listless corpses just working and working without a certain goal. When one is motivated, we would be more enthusiastic, have higher energy, more efficiency, high performance, and we are easily to adapt and change based on the situation. In the first semester, we studied about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Our needs motivate us to achieve them, to satisfy the mind and body. We are motivated to reach each level and then move on to the next one. We are humans, and our ancestors were motivated to survive in an environment where we have to do various things to survive and produce offsprings. Producing fertile offsprings is the sole purpose of a species. Without it, extinction will come and wipe out that species. The traits of surviving and achieving certain things to reduce and eliminate discomfort, dissatisfaction are embedded in our genes. They are innate, and we are motivated by them to survive. It is the same thing with fear. We fear because we are motivated to survive. We go on alert and try to avoid or fight the danger in order to survive. We are MOTIVATED to do so.
Maslow's first level is physiological needs, which is obvious because nothing could survive without the fundamental basics that would ensure the survival and development of a species. Humans need shelter, food, water, etc. Once this level is satisfied, we can move on to the next. The same apply for the upcoming ones. Safety needs is the next level. One wouldn't survive for long if there isn't a "safe house" for you to stay in. Our ancestors used caves. Now we use houses, buildings, apartments, etc. Also, there is economic security. This is something new that has just developed along with mankind. One couldn't survive without income/wealth. The system that we use is a "trading" system where we "trade" currencies to obtain various goods. Unless you can get food and water by harvesting, you are obliged to obtain wealth and use it. The third level is social need. The need for love, connection, relationship. If one was to live alone in this world, one would go insane in a few days. We are interconnected. We need to have other people in our lives to survive. It affects mostly our psychological well being. Warmth, love, happiness, etc. all comes from relationships and connections. The fourth level is self-esteem. Our ego, self-esteem determine the "value" of who we are. It is our confidence and recognition. If one lost ego, one would feel worthless in life. The last level is self-actualization. This level is where we begin to explore the world around us. Playing sports, drawing, literature, math, etc. We gain satisfaction through the actions that we do and the subjects that we delve in. Maslow's theory is that all humans go through these levels. If the lower level one (i.e safety needs) isn't accomplished, the next one wouldn't open up.
McClelland's theory about motivation is that there are 3 different types of motivation, and people behave differently based on what they desire. The 3 types are: Need for Power, need for Achievement, and need for Affiliation. People that desire Power wants to control other people around them, to influence them. They prefer work that involves controlling other people, has an impact on events and people, and brings public attention and recognition. The next one is need for Achievement. The people in this group wants to achieve something that is challenging but not impossible. The last one is need for Affiliation. It is the desire to main a warm and friendly relationship with other people. The people in this group seek work that has interpersonal relationships, provides companionship, and brings social approval.
If we think about motivation and the problems that our world faces at the moment, we could virtually fix all of them. Aren't we motivated to do things to get rid of our discomfort? To get rid of the potential danger that we face? So why haven't we truly achieved any thing that is ground breaking, game changing? Because our motivation isn't enough to do so. For pollution, if the government were motivated enough, there would be a significant decrease in pollution of any kind. Factories wouldn't be able to freely empty sewages into rivers or produce an abundant of virulent gases into the air. We can enforce the law more strictly to bring down those who oppose, and we could eliminate the global threats that pollution could bring. Another example would be inequality in distribution of wealth. Are we motivated to see a society where everyone is equal or close to equal in all ways? The determine factor is wealth. The gap between the rich and the poor has been so wide that it would take an average workers thousands of years to obtain the amount of money a Hollywood celebrity or professional athlete make in a year. The average worker maybe motivated to work harder to earn money, but it is never enough. The government has to step in and regulate the money flow, balancing things out. A prosperous economy is where everyone has the power to purchase essential goods. Last but not least, biodiversity, the various species that live on planet Earth. Biodiversity is in danger. Many species have gone extincted. Some of them are because of natural causes, but others are because of human impact. If we are motivated to save the animals around us, we must act as if they are apart of us. We humans sometimes do not understand the crucial role that other organisms play in the chain of life. Without them, we wouldn't be able to survive. Motivation will give us the desire to save these organisms and maintain there habitat.
Motivation is so important that we are always motivated, but we don't actually realize it sometimes. Driving us forward, that is motivation. Desires and needs are always there. It is a part of human life. It is similar to greed, where there is no end to it.
