FINAL POST

There are so many aspects to motivation that most of us don’t think about on a daily basis. What motivates us to get out of bed? What motivates us to go to school and get good grades? What motivates us to want our dream homes? On another note, what motivates addictive behaviors? Our biology, personality, temperament, physiology, culture and economics are just some of the main topics that motivate us to strive for more, while we are just one in a huge world.

Some of our motivations come from individual differences, and others are shared. Our personality and temperaments would contribute to our individual differences and a universal motive (one that is shared) would be our need for happiness in life. Motivation is an interesting type of psychology because there are so many factors that estimate what we do and why we do it. This class has opened by eyes to the many aspects, and has answered my question, “What is motivation and where does it come from?”

My most favorite part in this class was learning about the motivation in Addictions and Addictive Behavior. Learning that caffeine was a category with alcohol, nicotine, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine and opiates was surprising. So many people drink tons of coffee and don’t think about the effects it can take. It is a psychoactive stimulant, even if it is legal and widely used. Learning that made me think twice about the next coffee I touch. Also, the information on each type of psychoactive drug was informative. Comparing drug addictions to food addictions was also interesting because the only difference is that people can react to the thought of food before seeing it (classical conditioning). There is also a genetic and personality disposition that made me think of the people I knew who were addicted to alcohol, drugs or coffee. They all had the addictive type of personalities (impulsiveness) and people in their family, somewhere along the line, had the same disease. The way the brain responds to addictions is the most interesting because the brain controls 100% of what people think and feel about their addictions. The chemicals, neurons and neurotransmitters make it that much harder for people to quit their addictions. Addictions are hard to control, and they can consume one for all that he/she is worth. It may take a higher motivator to pull one out of the motivation for addiction. Either way, it is a long road which encompasses more strength than some can even imagine.


“If you’ve never failed, you’ve never lived.”

We all have the feeling of giving up, but there is always something that keeps us going. Motivation is apart of living. It’s what keeps us going as human beings. It’s what keeps us individual, while climbing up some of the same ladders to get to the point of “Self Actualization.” It makes me think of our world leaders, instructors and celebrities, which most of us look up to. They’ve climbed some of the same ladders, but what makes them so different? Ultimately, if we let our motivations lead the way; we can overcome our circumstances, no matter what tries to get in our way. Our individual motivation will lead us to the top, whatever that might mean for the each of us.