Motivation...

Motivation is process of moving from pain to pleasure. So to be "highly motivated" that is literally stating that there is significant pain to suggest quick resolution to a less painful environment.

I think about motivation a lot these days. Whether it's my own motives or how we as a collective society chose to move. Motivation comes in many different ways - in the spy world the acronym M.I.C.E. is used. M (money), I (ideology), C (coercion/compromise) and E (ego) are the basis factors for why a person would be willing (or in the case of coercion/compromise - unwilling, but required) to turn against their state to give away secrets to other nations. I believe that those same basis factors are for why an individual or group would chose to do anything that is past the status quo.

For instance - how would change really happen to a group of people? How could you convince say a million people to do something different?

First, there has to be just cause. Without a solid, logically framed reason, people will find fault and be dismissive. That same logically framed reasons doesn't have to be well intended (like spying for another country) or it can be for the benefit of the group (usually at the sacrifice of a minority).

Secondly, the pitch is delivered to the weakest of spots - or in a group - on multiple "fronts". People choose to change (or move) from a present position with those core MICE factors. Money or Ego or Ideology (or some combination of the three) with the last resort of Coercion (making someone do something against their will by withholding punishment). If we have monetary compensation or reward from changing our behavior then that might be the crux. Or maybe we have and ideological cause that we adhere to that is the change (such as in religion) or our egos are at stake such as I must show up to work on time or someone might think bad of me (not all ego driven motivations are egotistical per se).

In my opinion, Americans haven't been challenged to change in recent years. I find it very interesting that the Greatest Generation - that generation that came together to fight in the last great war (WWII) were motivated by both Ego and Ideology - with a touch of Coercion from a direct threat from the Japanese and Europe - spawned the generation that is running us into the ground. Their children (the baby boomers) are the direct generation that are in charge and running the large corporations and in high level positions in government. That same generation that found solidarity to fight and ration itself through the great war had children that found that selfish motivations and hedonism was a much better course.

Maybe that was the start of that movement (motivation) of the Baby Boomers down this path - those painful years of their parents in the Great Depression and then living through the war and subsequent cultural repression that lasted in the 50's and early 60's until they just had enough constraint and wanted to just be free (drugs and the introduction of "the pill" were fuel in this fire).

I am from the next generation - the one they can't seem to put a name to. Generation X that grew up with enough lack of technology that video games were things you went to an arcade for and the paranoia hadn't fully grasped the free roaming as a child. But my generation hasn't been tested in fire yet.

I see the coming warning sirens of a great change - one that will happen at the greatest pace in human history - with massive transfers of wealth and instability as fall out from our parents guidance to this point.

Some people will think the best course of action will be to just stand still and let the storm roll over and thus continue on our fat, happy ways. But I firmly believe that the better metaphor is to liken our journey to being in a vast ocean and that we must row to get to somewhere that still lies over the horizon. And that maybe, with enough collaboration, we could see the storms and pay enough attention to steer away from them, or at least hit the weakest part of the storm.

I feel that the coming motivation will be so radical that it is incredibly difficult to even think about how to prepare for it. It will force us to all rethink our resources and reaffirm our foundational core beliefs. Maybe take better care of ourselves, save a little bit more money and make responsible financial choices that are based on long term survivability and not short term hedonistic choices.

That of our grandparents who saved their money to buy a car or a home (with cash no less!) who knew the pain of a nation on it's knees and that even in the depths of national financial despair great things can emerge with enough motivation (the Tennessee Valley projects, dam construction, etc). And the vast investment in proper infrastructure by tapping the national resources of trained peoples post WWII in the building of the freeways and transportation networks.

I think that my generation will endure great pains and will eventually rise like the Phoenix from the ashes like my grandparents did. We will do it by taking greater care for our children and through taking care of our parents - who got us into this mess to begin with.

Our motivation will be great because in the end we will have no choice. In the next twenty years, my generation will be the one leading policy and the government and they will have endured much.