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My Journey Through Mental Health Education

Profound Experience#7

By RachelAnnPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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After reading the chapter, our instructor asked us to explain MOTIVATION in our understanding and how it affects our behavior. In other words, if you are hungry you WILL find a way to eat. Or if you are scared, you run or hide. These are normal behaviors, right? I went a little deeper........

Of course........

What is motivation, and what are three key perspectives that help us understand motivated behaviors?

Motivation, what motivates you to do anything? That would have to include everything in your world. Your environment, the stage of life you are in, and what coping skills you’ve managed to obtain. There are three theories on how this all goes down. The Drive-Reduction, the Arousal, and then we have Maslow. I’ll break them down and see if they “stick”.

I want to begin with the most obvious one, Drive-Reduction. I say obvious because the theory states that if there is a need we will find a way to meet it. That is it in a nutshell! I think that is a natural response that goes without saying unless you are someway incapable of doing so. We all have a place of homeostasis and unless we are experiencing it, we will do what is necessary to obtain that. This is why so many people will and have restored to illegal means of obtaining theirs. Whatever the reason may be, it is the reason. Their state of homeostasis may not be what you think it is but yours is not theirs either.

Drive-Reduction, also means that your environment can stimulate a reaction in you based on the current need. For me, it would be like driving or walking (walking would be far more tempting) and inhaling the smell of coffee. I don’t care what time of day it is, I will want that, and I will get it. I may not even need it but that scent will trigger the desire to have one. The sooner the better, too. The idea of the coffee reminds me of just how yummy it can be. That feeling of satisfaction is the incentive that motivates me to find the coffee for myself. It makes perfect sense when you look at it that way. And it works the same way in dire situations as I referred to earlier.

The Arousal theory works hand in hand with Drive-Reduction. At least that is how I see it. Because arousal is excitement(good or bad) and causes a response from you. Your motivation to take action will depend upon the circumstance. Some things will require an emergent response and some you will contemplate before taking any action. Just because you are outside and hear a branch break, doesn’t mean there is immediate danger. Not unless you are outside, in the woods, and it’s dark. I bet your heart rate went up as you read that. We are naturally creative and our imaginations will run wild if allowed to do so (and some do).

Are you the type that the minute you are in a situation like that, you run? Or do you take a moment to decide if there really is any imminent danger before reacting? Maybe you are so much into your own world you don’t care. It really depends on the situation. You need all of the visual information downloaded before you can make any kind of decision as to what to do next. Don’t you? I know I do. So both of these theories certainly depict some of the reasons why, but not all. And I saved the best for last. Mr. Maslow of 1970 and his Hierarchy of Needs.

Maslow states that there is an order of needs that must be met from the bottom up. The first and primary, the base, is your need to satisfy thirst and hunger. The next being your need for safety and security. After that now you need to feel like you belong, you’re loved, and avoiding loneliness or separation. Once that is secure now the need is for your self-esteem, recognition from others, competence, and independence. Well, now you are on your way to self-actualization where you realize you need to live up to your expectations and fullest of capabilities. IF you aren’t exhausted from all of that, you FINALLY reach the glory stage of finding meaning beyond yourself.

MY theory is that it requires all of this, in different orders, at different times, and in different situations. And all of these theories are great but we are dealing with unpredictable human beings. Who are ALL uniquely made. There is not ONE person who is EXACTLY like you. No one thinks the same way or feels the same. You can find other people that are SIMILAR but you are you. That is how we get separated in groups or herds. WE find other humans that have similar ways of expressing and coping with the ways of this world. And it is there that you find your security. But you HAVE to know who you REALLY are before you CAN. Until then you will find the groups that suit you for the stage of life you are in at the moment. You will either grow from your experiences or you will stay stagnant. Either way, you are a product of your environment and the choices you make in how to cope with it (or find the motivation to get out). It begins and ends with you, always.

humanity
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About the Creator

RachelAnn

Thoughts and messages flow to me

Some in story....some in ryhme.... I write them to share with all of you who need them.

If and when you find it.....it's perfect timing for you....it means you're ready to hear it...or read it in this case LOL

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