8.03.2003
Motive: An emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action. Depending on context, explanations can range from trivial to excessively complex. On some level, people are motivated by the desire to most increase the level of pleasure or happiness in their lives. This underlies the philisophical concept of Utilitarianism, which basically prescribes morality to conditionally do what is best for yourself and those immediately surrounding you (those affected by your actions). And to not do that which is not best. "Best" is described as that what generates the most happiness or pleasure. The definition for "most" is vague, at best. (at best? now my definitions are becoming circular:) ) The problems come in with conflicting versions of what increases happiness, and in a more detailed sense what increases happiness THE MOST. Anything less than increasing happiness the most is considered somewhat immoral by the utilitarian. Most current philosophers would consider themselves Utilitarian, and I would count myself as one, but with a twist. Christian philosophy could be described in part as taking the action in the best interest of your neighbor, and and only secondarily yourself- and I would agree with this (this is my twist of Utilitarianism). If everyone took the action that was in the best interest of someone else, someone else would be taking action that was in your best interest. Some small contradictions would arise, but they would be good ones.... Who would be the first to go through a door? The first in line? The Bible speaks to this when it says "The first shall be last and the last shall be first" and "He who would save his life will lose it, and he who would lose his life for me (Christ, who is speaking these words) would save it."
This is a prescriptive view of how I think the world should work, but it is not descriptive of how it works in fact.
So, we are back to the original question. What are motives? Some clarification is necessary. What are your motives for a particular action? Well, humans being the previously-described selfish creatures they are, the motive would be to increase ones own level of happiness. This would lead to some stepped-upon toes. What is good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander. A rising tide does not float all boats. This leads to the idea I talked about recently that all political thought is inherently, fundamentally flawed. It is illogical. It is more than illogical, it is contradictory. And rife with self-serving, self-congragulatory people who are merely there to serve their own interests, in the name of serving the group. And everyone who contacts this group is sullied by the mire. And I mean everyone.
Political views are like farts. Your own smell great, but everyone else's stinks.
I saw a television ad, and it reminded me of this. It is one of those idiotic "Target Market" ads where vapid, slack-jawed, MTV-addled teens protest the evils of the tobacco industry. To the 10-14 year old demographic they are trying to reach, protesting the "capitalist pigs" of "Big Tobacco" is cutting edge stuff. To us, (oh, how spohisticated we believe ourselves to be) they look silly and childish. Nobody forces anybody to smoke. It is part of our free will. And we are right. And as that thought no more than fades away we turn to the nearest media outlet to see what our "trusted political guru" says. The individual matters little except in what they have to say, but because of the contradiction of politics, what they say in the end matters nothing as well. Michael Moore, Rush Limbaugh, Phil Donohue, Bill O'Reilly, etc. It is all the same. We are all told what to think. And we dutifully think it. And the more extreme the view, the more motivated we are to think it. We all think ourselves to be, if not the smartest people in the world, among the smartest. Stop for a second and seriously think. I am serious... stop reading this and try to imagine yourself as merely ordinary. Not all that bright, not all that dumb. Not enlightened and not deluded. If you think it is easy, you have not fully comprehended it. We all wish to be part of the select few who have not been snowed, not had the wool pulled over our eyes by the schemes of the Other Side. And it is so silly... we are like the 10-14 year olds who desperately wish to be counter-culture and in so doing look exactly like our friends. We are each so "unique" and "diverse" that you can't tell anyone apart. Each side spouts tolerance except for opposing views. Try bringing a sign in support of Bush to an anti-war rally or a sign denouncing the war to a VFW rally. New worlds of anus-kicking will be explored, and a good time will be had by most.
So what is the solution? I would probably say to not take ourselves so seriously. We do WAY too much of that. We each think that we can save the world if it would only LISTEN. If only we could MOTIVATE it. But we would screw it up just like all the others before us. Revolutionaries are not stupid people, for in the end, they were able to depose those who held power. But they are not as smart as they would think, because, as in "Animal Farm", they begin to become indistinguishable from the people they replaced.
I am reminded of a line from "A Midsummer Night's Dream":
"Oh! What fools these mortals be!"
I think we are all far too motivated. by everything.
This is a prescriptive view of how I think the world should work, but it is not descriptive of how it works in fact.
So, we are back to the original question. What are motives? Some clarification is necessary. What are your motives for a particular action? Well, humans being the previously-described selfish creatures they are, the motive would be to increase ones own level of happiness. This would lead to some stepped-upon toes. What is good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander. A rising tide does not float all boats. This leads to the idea I talked about recently that all political thought is inherently, fundamentally flawed. It is illogical. It is more than illogical, it is contradictory. And rife with self-serving, self-congragulatory people who are merely there to serve their own interests, in the name of serving the group. And everyone who contacts this group is sullied by the mire. And I mean everyone.
Political views are like farts. Your own smell great, but everyone else's stinks.
I saw a television ad, and it reminded me of this. It is one of those idiotic "Target Market" ads where vapid, slack-jawed, MTV-addled teens protest the evils of the tobacco industry. To the 10-14 year old demographic they are trying to reach, protesting the "capitalist pigs" of "Big Tobacco" is cutting edge stuff. To us, (oh, how spohisticated we believe ourselves to be) they look silly and childish. Nobody forces anybody to smoke. It is part of our free will. And we are right. And as that thought no more than fades away we turn to the nearest media outlet to see what our "trusted political guru" says. The individual matters little except in what they have to say, but because of the contradiction of politics, what they say in the end matters nothing as well. Michael Moore, Rush Limbaugh, Phil Donohue, Bill O'Reilly, etc. It is all the same. We are all told what to think. And we dutifully think it. And the more extreme the view, the more motivated we are to think it. We all think ourselves to be, if not the smartest people in the world, among the smartest. Stop for a second and seriously think. I am serious... stop reading this and try to imagine yourself as merely ordinary. Not all that bright, not all that dumb. Not enlightened and not deluded. If you think it is easy, you have not fully comprehended it. We all wish to be part of the select few who have not been snowed, not had the wool pulled over our eyes by the schemes of the Other Side. And it is so silly... we are like the 10-14 year olds who desperately wish to be counter-culture and in so doing look exactly like our friends. We are each so "unique" and "diverse" that you can't tell anyone apart. Each side spouts tolerance except for opposing views. Try bringing a sign in support of Bush to an anti-war rally or a sign denouncing the war to a VFW rally. New worlds of anus-kicking will be explored, and a good time will be had by most.
So what is the solution? I would probably say to not take ourselves so seriously. We do WAY too much of that. We each think that we can save the world if it would only LISTEN. If only we could MOTIVATE it. But we would screw it up just like all the others before us. Revolutionaries are not stupid people, for in the end, they were able to depose those who held power. But they are not as smart as they would think, because, as in "Animal Farm", they begin to become indistinguishable from the people they replaced.
I am reminded of a line from "A Midsummer Night's Dream":
"Oh! What fools these mortals be!"
I think we are all far too motivated. by everything.
< 00:02 >< /j >
