‘Human behaviour is complicated; human motivation is simple.’ So says Larry C Rosen in his TEDx talk, which I will link below. There’s much truth in the statement, and in his talk Rosen proposes what he thinks the three underlying human motivations are. I think it’s important to learn to understand others better if we want to become better women, or even just better people, so I wanted to share the ideas here.
Yet, I couldn’t help thinking why? Why are these three motives behind every human decision? Each is somewhat simplified and boiled down to include a range of different needs, but the three key motives still stand. I decided to give my own twist on it instead of simply sharing someone else’s ideas, and that involved turning to the Bible. I was curious to see whether I could find these three motives in the creation story of humans. The short answer is yes, I did. These motives may be manifested in healthy or unhealthy ways, yet when they are healthy they tap into what God made us humans to be. When these core motivations manifest in unhealthy ways (as, unfortunately, they all too often do) they indicate a distorted corruption of what we were made to be and we need to be aware of that.
I started this post intending it to be about psychology and understanding people better, yet in the process of planning it seems to have turned in part into a mini Bible study. I guess the Bible just has a lot to say about our human condition. God knows us best. Anyway, let’s get to the point. The three core human motives are: physical, relational, and aspirational.
Motive One: Physical
‘And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’
Genesis 2:7
The Bible says that, as humans, we are made of earth and spirit combined. We are physical as well as spiritual beings, and as such we have physical needs. These can be seen in the physiological needs and safety needs at the foundation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We have the physical need for sustenance, health, a pain-free environment, rest, exercise, safety, and security. If we don’t have those, we will be motivated to gain them however we can.
Motive Two: Relational
‘And the LORD God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.’
Genesis 2:18
Humans are social creatures and pack animals. We are not meant to be alone, hence why God created Adam and Eve for each other. When we feel alone or isolated we will eventually be driven to change that, which can be a great thing when pursued in a healthy way – but unfortunately humans aren’t always healthy. This requirement is seen in the belonging and love needs and the esteem needs that form the middle of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We have the relational need for love, empathy, community, friendships, intimacy, respect, and appreciation.
Motive Three: Aspirational
‘And the LORD God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.’
Genesis 2:15
It’s significant that one of the first things God did with His newly created humans was to give them a purpose. We were made in the image of God to become His partners in creating an even better world, and as such have an inner urge to explore. This is represented in the self-actualisation needs at the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We have the aspirational need for creativity, curiosity, autonomy, meaning, purpose, and the achieving of our potential. This has been the motivation for many of the incredible discoveries and advancements that has led humanity to where we are today, however it has also been corrupted at times and led to the invention of terrible things as well.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
The thing is find interesting about this way of summarising human motivations is that it emphasises how all human actions originate from natural needs. It’s only in the way that those motives manifest that they sometimes get corrupted and become problematic. No matter how good or bad someone is, they are still human. That doesn’t make bad behaviour excusable – choice is a powerful responsibility we all have – but thinking this way helps to promote empathy. Kind or evil behaviour, though drastically different, can come from the same motive and are really just two sides of the same coin. Being aware of this should help us guard against our own choices to make sure we choose what is right, good, true, and kind, because the possibility of corruption is never far away. We have the power to choose what is right over what is easy.
Feminine Finishing School 