Vain Motivations: Dark Secrets of Momentum

Money, success, fame, attention from the opposite sex… are these the carrots that drive your inner donkey into action?

Are you encouraged or discouraged by increases in responsibility, recognition, tokens of achievement? Does the promise of change push you into motion, or is it a drive to maintain balance and stability that breaks your inertia?

Most of us (even the more self aware among us) seem to stumble along in our worlds unaware of what actually motivates us. We know what we want, maybe even what we need in our lives — but for the most part, we’re unaware of our deeper primal motivations, the things which move that stubborn subconscious donkey.

(You have introduced yourself to your inner donkey, haven’t you? No? Maybe I’ll write a How-To on the topic this week, then. Can’t have you introducing yourself to Equus Asinus Internus improperly!)

I’m sure there are any number of personality tests out there to help you along the path, but I can’t be bothered to look them up right now.

You see, I’ve just had a motivational epiphany.

The Epiphany___________________

It hit me as I was working on my brain goals…. I’m vain about my intelligence.

I’m vain enough about it that a decline in my cognitive ability motivated me to spend both time and money to improve it.

I purchased brain-training and entrainment programs, and have actually been *using* them. Even more notably, I’m making other lifestyle changes, because I want my mind to function <s>more better</s> at its best. (look, improvement already!)

Here’s the kicker..

I’ve been aware that health-related changes were necessary. I was troubled by the increasing lack of energy, that my appearance was suffering, that my projects were not being completed, and so on.

These things mattered to me. They troubled me. Sometimes they troubled me a lot, even embarrassed me. I knew what I needed to do to resolve the problems, I just didn’t take those steps.

I wasn’t motivated.

But the minute I clearly realized my cognitive abilities were being affected (in ways no one but me noticed)…

Voila! My intellectual vanity spurred me into action.

Vain Applications__________________

My attachment to my intellect is a vanity I never suspected, but which has likely motivated me all of my life.

Now that I’m aware of it, I admit I’m tempted to bury it again — because along with that vanity comes a wealth of intellect-related prejudices, and a sense of shallowness that doesn’t fit well with my self image. Burying prejudices and vanities doesn’t make them go away… but it does lend an illusion of depth.

On the other hand, I can take the low road, embrace this vanity, and *use* it.

Goals of looking better, being healthy, stabilizing my mood and having more energy don’t seem to motivate me to work out. But by attaching a work out to increased brain-power, I engage my intellectual vanity. Working out will help me recover from this cognitive slump I’m in. And suddenly? I want to work out.

The same comes with eating better, more water, and so on. By attaching them to my intellect, I’m suddenly motivated.

Strange, but cool.

The prejudices that have surfaced are a bit harder for me to look at. Accepting, using and changing them are a task for another day and another post. For now, I’m quite satisfied and intrigued with my newly discovered motivation.

But Back To You _________________

What are your vain motivations?

You are hereby challenged to look deeply into your subconscious drives, those primal forces that make you do things, those issues which seem shallow, but spur you into action? How can you reframe your goals using your knowledge of your own vanity and primal, selfish motivations?

If I weren’t so worn out from all this self exploration, I’d figure out a way to turn this into a blog meme. That would seem smart, wouldn’t it? But since I’m still suffering from that cognitive decline, I feel justified in my laziness.

So just think about it, please? If you feel especially motivated, leave a comment… or write a whole post about it!

But I’ll feel happy if I just got you to think about it : ) ________________________________

MindTweak: If there is a single quality that is shared by all great men, it is vanity. But I mean by vanity only that they appreciate their own worth. Without this kind of vanity they would not be great. And with vanity alone, of course, a man is nothing. — Yousef Karsh ________________________________