After all, one could no more peer into the minds of the living than one could the dead, and there was certainly no way to act solely in the interests of another. If you dug deeply enough, you would always arrive at the conclusion that you had acted in your own interests. The only problem was acting in such a way that you could live with yourself afterward.
Walking through our daily lives, we rarely stop and wonder: Why are we acting all all? What is the driving force, the motivation, the force pushing us onward on the path we are strolling down? The daily rat race keeps us going, but it’s only a symptom of external force. Is there also real motivation we draw energy from?
The answer is essential, but not easily determined. Initially, in the freedom granted by youthful time, motivational curiosity or fascination may teach us to walk down the road of education, partnership, a line of work or even direct us towards a profession for life. However, only a deep motivation can keep us moving along enthusiastically for the eternity of human years, and shorten them to experiences of happiness. Which energy source can provide this power?
All of us, for lengthy periods of our lives, lose track and join the stream of others around us. Going along without resisting, as a zombie following internal instincts, we can survive through many painful days, numbing our lack of enthusiasm with entertainment through media or an overdose of work. But whenever our batteries are drained, whenever we stand still for a moment, or whenever we try to regain our creativity, we are unable to go on without asking the question: Which motivation is providing my fuel?
Motivation can be manifold. It can stem from scientific curiosity, dreams and ideals, support by friends or partners, promises, rewards or awards, fulfilment of idealism, gain of personal freedom and so much more. Motivation defines itself by other positive emotions providing us with energy, but they are not the only source fuelling us.
Emotions are the ups and downs of human nature. Our motivations can be driven by both powerful negative or positive emotions, and are easily swayed. They can be infectious, and be destroyed and rebuilt in an instant with the snap of someones fingers or even a single word.
Motivations define our own interests, and are critical to shape our futures. Managers of companies are supposed to be experts in shaping futures, and hence should have high expertise in creating motivation along their colleagues. Dictators and experienced politicians are trained in subtle control of our interests, dragging us in the direction they choose. Even we ourselves can set up goals to provide motivation to ourselves by defining our interests, providing rewards and fulfilling our dreams.
The emotional base means that a vicious component may strike us any time. Lack of communication boosts vested interests and allows to maximize the ignorance of others, leading to disruption of their motivations even without intention. Ignorance allows to prevent any emotion of guilt, and eases the personal path to happiness at the cost of cutting off others.
The increasing rarity of empathy due to increased isolation and loneliness enforced by the global situation boosts these previously rare cases, which are now spreading from the prideful egomaniac to the common masses. Emotional clashes may happen in silence, and are more and more often solved by fleeing the stage, seeking shelter by switching environments and attempting a fresh start or by entering a state of depression. And finally, another option is fighting back, speeding up the merry-go-round of demotivational disruption.
Searching for independent self-motivation is not a permanent solution and not secured from destruction, and those who manage our work-lives may become more ill-suited as their own motivation is drained by the wheels of change. Humanity is in dear need of a moment of relief, a deep breather, a healing spell, or a fundamental change to our nature. But would the latter not convert us into creatures with a different interpretation of emotion and our culture?