It’s been said there are two types of people in the world: those who are motivated by reward and those who focused on avoiding pain.
Sigmund Freud referred to this as the Pain/Pleasure Principle. (Aristotle also talked about this concept, but it’s Greek to me.)
The Pain/Pleasure Principle can be very helpful in life, not only when it comes to dealing with others, but also when dealing with yourself.
Take the issue of self-motivation, for example. If you are a person who looks forward to reward, you might tackle a project because of the good feeling you’ll have when finished.
If you fear negative consequence, however, you’ll probably approach the project in a much different way. In this instance, you may be strongly motivated to avoid the fear of being embarrassed or penalized for not getting the project done on time.
Don’t worry; we need both types of people in the world.
When working with others, it can be helpful to know if they are more effectively motivated by pleasure or by pain.
Knowing about the two types of people in the world and what motivates others will do wonders to streamline communication and help you connect with others.
- Michael Angelo Caruso, Communications Consultant, Royal Oak, Michigan
P.S. Which motivates you–the anticipation of pleasure or the avoidance of pain?
Tags: Edison House, michael Angelo Caruso, motivation, pain pleasure principle, Sigmund Freud
