Random word of the day?
Motive
Whether we like to admit it or not, we all have motives.
By definition, a motive is a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious.
Yes. One that is not obvious. The first thing that springs to mind is a motive for murder.
I sometimes watch those crime show dramas on TV. Some of them are serious, like CSI or Criminal Minds. Or even the real ones, like Dateline or 20/20. Then there is the fun variety, like old-school Murder She Wrote and Columbo.
But one common theme, through each episode, across every show? Someone with a motive. People kill other people. In the United States, there were 26,031 homicides in 2021. (From CDC statitstics). And worldwide, it is about 400,000 per year.
And with that are 400,000 motives.
But not all of us are killers. Thankfully.
Motives come along for all sorts of things. We have motives for working out at the gym, for getting out of bed early, for traveling to the Grand Canyon, for getting a cat. Uhhhh. Cats have motives, by the way. Lots of motives.
Apparently, there are three types of motives.
Biological. Social. Personal.
And with each of those is a breakdown of categories.
Biological motives are also called physiological motives. These motives are essential for the survival of the organism. That would be you, or me, or the horse next door. Such motives are triggered when there is an imbalance in the body. You see, our bodies tend to maintain a state of equilibrium called “homeostasis.” We like to be on an even keel. So when something is off — like we are hungry, thirsty, tired, or cold — we form motives to put those things back in balance.
Social motives are next. Those physiological motives we looked at, pertain to both animals as well as human beings. But social motives are specific only to human beings. These are called social motives, because they are learned in social groups. We come to know these when we interact with family, friends, and society.
The subcategories here are listed as:
Achievement motive, aggressive motive, power motive, aquisition motive, curiosity motive, and gregariousness.
Most of these speak for themselves. We want to achieve something, or get back at someone, or attain power, or acquire goods, and on.
Personal motives finish things up. They are very specific to individuals and highly personalized. The categories are our force of habits (smoking, drinking, eating chocolate), our goals of life (becoming a doctor, or artist, or street sweeper), our levels of aspirations (of those life goals), our attitudes and interests (watching football, going to the opera), and lastly, unconscious motivations (we aren’t aware of why we do what we do).
As I look at myself and my life, I can see parts of me throughout this list, at different times and in different ways. Sometimes these overlap. Sometimes they are very specific. They can be selfless in some cases or quite selfish in others.
But more than anything, motives are a part of our everyday lives.
To note. The origin of the word motive comes from late Middle English, which came from Old French motif, and from late Latin motivuse. All of this means ‘to move.’
And so our motives cause us to move in the directions we do.
So today, may we all move well.
With a good motive behind that motion.
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“It’s motive alone which gives character to the actions of men.”
— Jean de la Bruyere
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“It is not as much about who you used to be, as it is about who you choose to be.”
― Sanhita Baruah
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“Every action needs to be prompted by a motive.”
— Leonardo da Vinci
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The big MO. Motives.
