Motivation Part 1: The Secret Thing That Drives All Actions
Human nature isn't necessarily malleable, but it is manageable.
No matter what your group is involved in, it’s made up of humans. That means you will have many of the same issues that any other group has, even if their goals or focus are unrelated to yours—or even if they’re diametrically opposed and working against you.
Take a look at the following list and see if any of these things have occurred in any group you’re involved in, regardless of what kind of group it was.
Conflict over who should be in charge, or what level of power that position has.
Disagreement over group goals and how to reach those goals
Arguments over ideas and beliefs
Interpersonal or relationship drama
Lack of accountability for ‘bad’ actions by members
Poor communication
Personality issues
Laziness in policy and/or practice
Arrogance/unteachability
Lack of discretion
You may even be able to add an item or two to this list based on your own experiences. What’s interesting to note is that while I’ve seen all of these in various political activism or preparedness groups, the truth is that these things have nothing to do with politics or activism and everything to do with human nature. You could be making or doing anything on earth in your group, and you’ll have some of these issues. Why?
Humans have certain personality aspects that carry across activities and belief systems.
Those aspects are keys that unlock potential, but even more importantly, they unlock the ability to predict someone’s behavior. If you can predict it, you can steer it. They’re called your motivating factor and manifestation.
The #1 Need of Every Human Being
You might be surprised to know that the thing at our core, the thing that we need more than anything, is validation. We need to believe that our existence matters.
Now, before you roll your eyes and start muttering about how you don’t care what anyone thinks of you, think about the one person who you call when you have great news—or awful news. We all have at least one person whose opinion we actually do care about; some people have many more than that. Some people even care about the opinion of total strangers, but we all have at least one.
Why do we care about legacies? Why do we care about reputation, clout, respect, etc? All of these things are rooted in the need to believe that our existence is worth something.
What makes humans individuals, however, is how that need manifests for each of us. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Example 1: John
John really likes money. In fact, if you had to guess, you’d say that John is all about money—making it, spending it, investing it, talking about it. John is always talking about what his latest purchase was. He buys the expensive gear, the best wines, goes on vacation to the exclusive spots, and stays in the best hotels.
Deep down, John believes that he would not be worth as much if he were not financially successful. That’s the measure of who he is, and how he gauges whether his existence matters. Maybe he is looking to have his parents validate him. Maybe he wants the approval of his equally wealthy peers. Maybe he wants people under him on the financial food chain to look up to him.
Is John motivated by money? No. He’s motivated by validation—but it manifests in the form of loving money.
Example 2: Nina
Nina is…well, vain. She spends a lot of money trying to look good. Tanning, makeup, clothes, nails. She’s on every dating app there is, and while she posts a constant stream of selfies, they all have filter after filter applied. None of your group members have ever seen her looking anything less than her best.
Deep down, Nina believes that she isn’t worth as much if she isn’t beautiful. The standard she’s holding herself to could be anything, but there’s definitely a standard there. Maybe it’s something from her childhood. Maybe it’s way too many magazines and models. Who knows?
Nina is motivated by validation—but it manifests in vanity.
Example 3: Frank
Frank is a hardcore activist. He is all in for his cause, and he’s quite the evangelist for the issues within it. He doesn’t agree with the concept of security or discretion, and frequently tells people he’s “on a list” which he sees as a badge of honor. He’s always looking for the next thing he can do for the cause: the next rally, next protest, next piece of gear. Perhaps his most noticeable trait is that he is always talking about how those that oppose his beliefs, should they somehow attempt to impose their will upon him, will be met with violence.
Deep down, Frank believes that he isn’t worth as much if he is a coward. It’s critical to him that no one think he is “worthless,” and to him, that word is spelled c-o-w-a-r-d. As a result, Frank puts a lot of effort into two things: a) being seen taking risks for the cause, and b) telling everyone how brave and fearless he is capable of being.
Frank is motivated by validation—but it manifests in bravado.
Predicting Behavior
All of these folks are different in personality, belief systems, and political goals. They all, however, share the same need for validation. That need, and the manifestation of it in each of them differently, is what will drive all of their decision making processes. Frank, for instance, will push back against security protocols or actions that will limit his ability to be seen. Nina will support things that offer her the opportunity to feed her vanity. John may not be interested in activities that cost him money or require him to spend or donate without the public thank you.
How can other manifestations be predicted?
A male who manifests as someone motivated by sex may find himself more easily in a complicated situation that leaks over into the group.
A female who needs to be seen as intelligent may respond with anger if it’s even hinted that she is somehow not as smart as her peers. She may even rise to a bait and divulge information to ‘prove’ she knows it.
A female who links validation with being decisive or assertive may melt down if faced with a situation where there is no “good” decision to be made, or if she is in a lose-lose scenario.
A male that links validation with being the husband and father in the “perfect” family may lose all effectiveness if things aren’t okay at home.
We all have a manifestation for our validation need, and what enemies look for are vulnerabilities. Our manifestation is one of the things they want to know.
Critical: You need to understand your own manifestation. It’s the key to what makes you tick.
If you’re in a group, you should know the manifestation for every member of your group. Not only will it help you understand and even predict how they may respond in a given situation, but you can actually steer their conduct. How? By giving them what they want.
In the next issue we’ll talk about exactly how you do that. Subscribe to make sure you can read it as soon as it comes out!