What Motivate You?

I was looking into the topic of Motivation.  Steven Reiss, Ph.D from Ohio State had done some interesting work on the subject.  I am already familiar with personality theories.  His is one that emphasize on "Desires" as the driving force to happiness and life satisfaction.

Reiss has defined 16 basic desires as the fundamental psychological impulses that define an adult’s personality. 

Overview of the 16 Basic Desires/Personality Traits:

Power tells us whether an individual craves leadership or responsibility, or would rather work in a service capacity. 

Independence reveals how a person forms their relationships with regard to autonomy or in association with other people.

Curiosity reveals the importance of ‘knowledge’ in a person’s life, and why they want to acquire knowledge.

Acceptance shows who, or what a person uses to construct a positive self-image.

The strength of the basic desire of Order shows how much structure or flexibility a person needs in their life. 

Saving has its evolutionary origin in the storing of supplies. The strength of this basic desire shows how important it is emotionally for a person to have possessions.

Honour reveals whether an individual seeks to remain true to their principles, or is goal-oriented.

Idealism considers the altruistic element of morality, and reveals the importance of responsibility with respect to fairness and social justice. 

Social Contact shows the importance of social acquaintances. Here, the quantity of contacts is significant. 

Family reveals how strong the desire to care for others is (with regard to a person’s own children).

Status is the desire either to be ‘conspicuously different’ from others in an elitist sense, or to be ordinary and like everyone else. 

Vengeance is chiefly about comparing oneself to others. It includes on the one hand aggression and retaliation, and harmony and conflict-avoidance on the other. 

Romance reveals the importance of sensuality in an individual’s life. Besides sex, this desire includes all other aspects of sensuality, e.g. design, art, and beauty. 

Eating seeks to determine the importance of eating in a person’s life. How much does the pleasure of eating well contribute to a satisfying life?

Physical Activity reveals the importance of physical activity (at work or playing sport) for a satisfying life.  

Tranquillity can also be described as emotional stability. It identifies the importance of stable emotional relations for a satisfying life. 

According to Reiss, we are a combination of these 16 desires. Life Successes are dependent on the extent to which the strength of any particular desire is matched by the opportunity of satisfying it.

I cannot say that I agree 100% to what he is indicating.  I believe that we as human are always a product of natural and nurture.  But it does give a more practical "Maslow hierarchy like" perspective to why we do what we do.

What Motivate You Today To Make A Difference?