Motivation is the cause of an organism's behavior, or the reason that an
organism carries out some activity. In a human being, motivation involves
both conscious and unconscious drives. Psychological theories must account
for a “primary” level of motivation to satisfy basic needs, such as those
for food, oxygen, and water, and for a “secondary” level of motivation to
fulfill social needs such as companionship and achievement. The primary
needs must be satisfied before an organism can attend to secondary drives.
Motion
is an act, process, or instance of changing place; or an impulse or
inclination of the mind or will.
Newton’s First Law of Motion states:
An
object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay
in motion unless acted upon by some outside force.
This
relates to motivation in that a person at rest, or unmotivated, tends to
stay unmotivated unless something or a situation acts towards encouraging
motivation. And thus, a motivated person would tend to stay motivated unless
something acts to discourage his or her motivation.
Newton’s Second Law of Motion states:
A
force acting on an object gives it an acceleration which is in the direction
of the force and has magnitude inversely proportional to the mass of the
object.
This
relates to motivation in that a stimulus towards motivation is countered by
the willingness or unwillingness for the person to accept the stimulus
towards motivation; or in effect, the more stubborn the person, the more
stimuli towards motivation would be necessary.
Newton’s Third Law of Motion states:
For
every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
This
relates to motivation in that an unmotivated person when presented with a
stimulus tends to resist the stimulus in proportion to the amount of
stimulus present. And also, a motivated person when encountering a deterrent
to his or her motivation tends to put forth the effort necessary to meet
obstacles with the determination to overcome them.
Motion
- Etymology: Middle English mocioun, from Middle French motion, from Latin
motion-, motio movement; from movEre, to move Date: 14th century*
Motive
(-ation) - Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French motif, from motif,
adjective, moving, from Medieval Latin motivus, from Latin motus, past
participle of movEre to move Date: 15th century*
*
source - Merriam-Webster Online, www.m-w.com
The root etymology of both motivation and motion are from the Latin movere,
or to move, so it would seem obvious that there is a relationship between
the function of the words in the dynamics of the human condition. Motivation
is the cause of motion or action in some form, and the effects of
situational variables has a direct relationship towards the action or lack
of action of an individual. The reaction to stimuli in motivation can often
be correlated to the theories of motion as set down by Sir Isaac Newton in
his Three Laws of Motion. Understanding how an individual chooses to respond
when presented with a motivational stimulus, and how different situations
lead to a certain courses of action can provide an insight into the
mechanics of the mind.
It can be observed that an unmotivated person has the tendency to
continue their routine of inactivity unless some force acts upon them to
change their course of action. Inactivity breeds inactivity, so that if a
person has no reason or cause to change a situation, then no action will be
taken. However, when some stimulus has acted upon an individual to become
involved in an activity or pursuit, this motivation can often be sustained
unless something occurs to discourage the course of action endeavored.
...to
be continued
