Poll: Human Motivation

[Azeban]

I've been thinking lately...are we humans simpler than we really pretend to be? We pretend that our motivations are more complex than they really are. But I think our motivations can be boiled down.

We want to be entertained, we want to be loved, we want to be warm, and we want to be full.

If we gave each human a comfy bed, a stable food supply, a great telly, and a decent looking significant other that makes interesting conversation and likes to cuddle, would anyone get out of that bed? (Recreation not counting, I realize that people like to play sports and videogames)

 

[chimmers]

I want to play football

But otherwise you have just described most of my summer

 

[Azeban]

That's part of recreation.

 

[Dommyboy]

What if we have a Wii? Unless we stand on top of the bed but that would be just silly.

 

[Azeban]

That's part of recreation...still.

 

[chimmers]

That's part of recreation...still.

Well why else would you get out of bed if you have all the stuff you need?

The only thing I can think of is exercise, because lying in bed all day eating wouldn't be great for you

 

[Azeban]

That's part of recreation...still.

Well why else would you get out of bed if you have all the stuff you need?

The only thing I can think of is exercise, because lying in bed all day eating wouldn't be great for you

That's the point. Is that all you need? Or do you need more? Did I pin down your motivations?

 

[chimmers]

Hmmm yes I suppose you did, sorry if I wasn't fully awake on first reading then.

I'm off to fulfil these ambitions now then

 

[ThePoodonkis]

I would get out of the bed to prevent bedsores. And to make sure I still know how to walk.

 

[Galletea]

Does creation count as recreation? Other than procreation I mean. Because I need to be making music(the real kind not the lovin' kind) or drawing most of the time. I don't like tv much either.

 

[TheDean]

I've been thinking lately...are we humans simpler than we really pretend to be? We pretend that our motivations are more complex than they really are. But I think our motivations can be boiled down.

We want to be entertained, we want to be loved, we want to be warm, and we want to be full.

If we gave each human a comfy bed, a stable food supply, a great telly, and a decent looking significant other that makes interesting conversation and likes to cuddle, would anyone get out of that bed? (Recreation not counting, I realize that people like to play sports and videogames)

I might not.
As long as i have access to computer and iPod.
though, it is god to have friends, and to have income. I'm just sayin'.

 

[Khedive Rex]

Don't get me wrong, it'd be fun for a while. It might be fun for a long, long while, but eventually I'd want to get up and go do something. I'd want to talk to my friends, or travel to New Zealand or learn a new language or something.

I can agree with you that the four motivations you present are certainly true but I don't think they are our only motivators. I think Humans are also compelled at least partially to change their environment. We get antsy when nothing happens for an extended period of time.

 

[leafsnail]

Please add an option to the poll "WTF".

 

[cleverlymadeup]

you just described what ppl do on a day to day basis

 

[Saskwach]

Writing off all other activities as "recreation", while true, completely misses the point: 'recreation' (if you use a broad definition, as I assume is being used here) is a person's expression of their own complexity. What they want, what they like, what they do, what makes them different.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

Every great once in a while, I get this irresistable urge to watch the Discovery Channel, which usually occurs when there's something on about physics.

 

[rottenbutter]

All human motivation, can be boiled down to two things: The pursuit of happiness, and survival. Anything any human has ever done, is either because they think doing it will make them happier, than if they didn't do it (or did something else), or because their survival depends on it.

 

[Imitation Saccharin]

maslow's hierarchy of needs

/thread

 

[Break]

All human motivation, can be boiled down to two things: The pursuit of happiness, and survival. Anything any human has ever done, is either because they think doing it will make them happier, than if they didn't do it (or did something else), or because their survival depends on it.

It's not even that complicated. The only reason anybody does anything is that our brains give off pleasant chemicals when we do. And that's only there because the organisms that didn't reward themselves for staying alive all died out already. If you put a wire in the pleasure centre of someone's brain, and kept the juice flowing high enough, they'd pretty much just sit there, happily doing nothing, until their body gave out.

The conditions in the OP would be sufficient for a solid number. Some people have a strong urge to travel, which would eventually outweigh the pleasure gained from a safe, stable environment, so you'd get a chunk of people that wouldn't be satisfied with just that. Self-reliance is another a common desire, which would also lead people to be unhappy. So, while you're on the right track, your proposed situation wouldn't be enough to keep everyone content.

 

[the_tralfalmadorian]

motivation's pretty easy to pin down for humans. In fact, Abraham Maslow has already done a damn fine job of doing so

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_needs