Psychology | Emotional motivation

The human mind can seem to behave strangely at times. We always have a reason for doing things, but that reason isn’t always logical or even sensible. We are often motivated by our emotions. Frequently, out of fear or desire.

Our emotions are primitive. We do most things automatically, because we have done them so many times before. We do complicated things when we are driving, for example. We are still very much in control and can change our behaviour if something unexpected happens. But much of what we do, we are not conscious of, like operating the controls. When we are busy doing things, like driving or  we are busy working, we are at our happiest. When we get bored, we look for things to do. We are then motivated by our emotions.

We need to feel safe and secure and that motivates us to work and make money. It also motivates our relationships, no matter how casual the relationship. Most people avoid conflict, but some people seem to enjoy conflict. They feel safe by sending out quite aggressive messages to others. This is like making a lot of noise when threatened by an animal. The confrontational personality is often seen as being primitive and  it is primitive behaviour. People with this type of personality can be seen as strong, they can also be seen as bullies. Part of us tends to be  primitive, but part of us is sophisticated and so there is a conflict, a dissonance between these two inner forces pulling us in different directions. Some people appear to be quite primitive and come across as aggressive. Other people observe etiquette, have good manners, are polite and observe the rules of society. As we have become a more sophisticated society, so rules of behaviour have developed. This is more true of Western society than of less developed society or less technological society. It is the development of technology, from the discovery of fire to the everyday use of computers that makes us separate from animals  and a more sophisticated species. We are still ruled, motivated by those same primitive emotions that drove us 50,000 years ago. We still want water to drink, food to eat and the modern equivalent of a warm cave and a mate to share it with.

It can be quite interesting to discover your most primitive emotions. Sport seems quite primitive. Running and jumping are quite often involved and sport is competitive, very much like tribal hunting. Try walking alone through the forest or through woodland. It can be quite scary. If you are walking quietly looking for your prey or running, chasing something; it’s quite primitive and not at all scary.

We are often drawn to primitive behaviour or sophisticated behaviour by our environment. The way we are dressed can influence our behaviour or where we are. Formal dress is required for sophisticated behaviour and we adopt a set of polite, sophisticated rules of behaviour when wearing more formal dress. When we dress casually there are fewer constraints, fewer rules. The more scantily dressed people are, the more primitive their behaviour.

How do you think you behave? Quite sophisticated or a bit Neanderthal? Please use the comment box to share your thoughts.

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