"Seek ye first..." - A lesson in motivation

Motivation is the psychological process of directing one's personal resources (called effort) towards a behavior in anticipation of an outcome. The first thing you should notice from this definition is that motivation has no meaning except as it is attached to a behavior and its expected outcome. 

Next most important learning about motivation is there are two primary influences that determine direction and extent of effort. These are what's called valence and saliency.

Valence is the most commonly known influence. This represents the expected value of the outcome derived from the behavior. Effort occurs when valence is a positive take on what you get for what you do. The lesser known, but more powerful factor, is called saliency. Saliency is difficult to describe. Thus, saliency is difficult to identify. Saliency is basically that which is top of mind for the individual. Saliency includes how relevant the behavior and outcome are to you. Often saliency is the extent of awareness you have of the outcome. The perception of risk and fairness associated with the outcome of the action taken can also affect saliency of a behavior for you.

For example, marketing is the activity of drawing others' behavior toward your idea, product or service. While much marketing focuses attention on valence, it is actually saliency that is working. When someone chooses "me", is it because they value "me" more or because they think of "me" first or mostly? 

Jesus had fantastic teaching about motivation. I like to use His view when I teach motivation to others.

In Jesus' most famous sermon He references both valence and saliency. He says, "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Your treasure is your valence, what you value. Heart is the seat of your motives. So, valence or value guides motivation.

However, later on in the sermon, to put a punctuation mark on motivation, He says, "seek ye first..". What He's pointing to here is the question, "what is it that is preeminent in your mind?" What is top of mind? Jesus claims that everything that comes to you starts with what you "seek first." Moreover, Jesus is providing a contrast to what you are likely to "seek first" in pursuit of what you want. Jesus understands motivation. Jesus understands saliency.

Now, valence and saliency are somewhat related, but until saliency of a behavior and its associated outcome is present, motivation toward that behavior/outcome is stunted and maybe even absent. For instance, you may value good health but are not exercising because exercising is not top of mind for some reason. Exercising is not salient to you although you may value its outcome.

Jesus teaches using contradictions. If He selects God's Kingdom as the most top of mind outcome for His people, what options for saliency is He warning against? Here are a few I have seen in people whether they are Christians or not:

to be happy or satisfied

to belong or loved (liked/accepted/popular)

to be right or know the truth (doctrinally correct)

to be a good person or virtuous (be kind, courageous, helpful)

to be just or fair  

to have power or control

to serve or sacrifice

to be obey the rules or do what's expected

As saliency varies from person to person, saliency divides. It does not unite. I could write volumes on how saliency is the reason we have political parties, church denominations, clash of cultures, and systems of education and health care.

If you are not a Christian, why would you trust what you have made salient to you to deliver what you want? If you are a Christian, what would your life be like if His Kingdom was what was most top of mind to you and not one of these other possibilities that occupy your mind?

While saliency is not a word you may be familiar with or believe matters to you, it is possible saliency or what you "seek first" means everything to you. Saliency is what determines your motivations and most everyone would agree motivation is important.

My pet peeve

 

This blog is about a pet peeve of mind, that has been with me for years and shows up almost every day, everywhere. A pet peeve is defined as something that a particular person finds annoying.

One of mine is how people in power unfairly consider an opposing argument to get their way. 

In this blog I share a few examples for you to ponder a pet peeve that really annoys me. It might annoy you, too.

One time I was in an executive team meeting. We were discussing a business issue. The President of our company made his point. One of the team members challenged that point with a counter point. There was some data involved as evidence on both sides, but each argument was mainly supported by gut feel or opinion. After the discussion lasted a while with no resolution, it took mainly the form of an argument. Guess who won? The President, the one with the power. He concluded with, "where's your data?" While gut feel was enough support for ideas of the one in power, it was not enough for the opposing view. This is a case where power produced an unlevel playing field. What was good for the one with power was not good for the one without. In my view, this is a form of bullying that occurs all the time.

Take the political arena. Who wields the most power? I would say it's the media, both mainstream for older adults and social for younger ones. There's an argument that can be made that one side of the political debate is way more powerful than the other. Maybe that in itself is a pet peeve of mine.

In any case, how does this idea of bullying by tilting the playing field occur? Well, here's one instant that blows my mind. One side makes an off the cuff comment that is objectionable to many. If the person who says this is supported by the powerbase, then the comment is acknowledge by the media as just something made in jest, a joke, a comedic slur. If the comment is made by one NOT in power, then the comment is considered dogma, potential policy, a deeply held belief, so the power base can gain public sentiment their way. 

The media produces an unlevel playing field. They use an unfair technique to bully those that they disagree. I see it in our public arena just like it occurs in every organization.

I just think it would be wise for you to be annoyed by bullying this way and make it one of your pet peeves, too. 

 

Identity Matters

 “Just be true to yourself.” “Find your authentic self.” Why do people obsess over “self-expression”? The now deceased thought leader Tim Kellar wrote, “The modern self is exceptionally fragile. You and you alone must create and sustain your identity. This has contributed to unprecedented levels of depression and anxiety.” The Imposter Syndrome is an identity malfunction people point to as a source of stress and dissatisfaction. So, what is it about identity that matters?  

First, identity is the comprehensive, existential sense of self.  Everyone must trust some label in their quest to answer the question, “who am I?” But labels separate us. Oppressed vs oppressor fuels protests. The top 1% is a tax target. Self-concept, which is the functional identity, is the complex set of factors like self-esteem and biases that determine how you see yourself and understand others. Your identity is what you trust for your feelings, thoughts and choices. People struggle with stress and mental health but don’t see identity as the problem. Social experiments to elevate people by diverse identities fail to produce DEI. People want unity, love and peace but never grasp how the diversity of identity divides. 

So, why does it? Think about it, ever said, “they deserve it” or “it’s not fair.” Identity drives perception. Identity judges. To gain power and feel important, people use justice to weaponize racism, sexual orientation, wealth and poverty, education, success, status, and nationality. How common is “the cancel culture” and “identity politics”? Antisemitism and Islamophobia are threatening the survival of institutions. While people desire to be different, there is ONE thing in common with each of us regardless of identity. Know what it is? An obsession with justice. Without ever thinking about it, you rely on a fair exchange that fits your identity. People depend on transactions for their happiness, acceptance and belonging. Fairness is subjective, it depends on the identity you trust. People view something as right or wrong depending on whether they perceive it’s fair or not. This is so natural we never think about it. It is your bias called social exchange. All relationships are held together by the perceived value that passes between them. Love is transactional. This is a semester worth of discussion. The world uses identity and justice to create chaos, confusion, and power struggles that keep people divided. People say they want UNITY but find it FUTILE. When people order their lives with an identity in this world essentially, they are “trying to swim better in the wrong pool.”

Put a pin here and let’s go a different direction. I identify as a Christian. I desire God’s view of identity. Guess what, the Bible is full of God’s idea of “self.” Since identity is important, it is no wonder it is a central theme of Scripture.  Being “hidden in Christ” is what God wants me to know about myself. Jesus’ teaching on the vine and the branches and Paul’s teaching on the body point to ONE identity that results in unity, not futility. Paul says, in Christ there are neither male nor female, slave or free, Jew or gentile. No matter how much the world desires unity, there is no unity to be had except for the one found in Christ. Let’s keep moving.

The cross is God’s action of grace and mercy that removes the control fair exchange has over the soul. The invitation to repentance is a call to trust a totally different identity, a total about face in how you think, feel and choose what’s right and what is hope. The “good news” cancels the bias for transactions that is built into the very nature of all humans. God is the ONLY judge. LOVE is never transactional, balanced, or fair. God offers, free of charge, satisfaction and acceptance. The privileges and provisions of His Kingdom are willfully and generously given to all who take on (trust) the identity of His Son.   

So, I leave you with this one question. Is your identity embedded in Christ or are you trusting some worldly label? Every person, including everyone in this room tonight, trusts something or someone for their identity. I have always been good at figuring out life according to the world’s standard. In my power I trusted my own quest for truth, universal principles I could rationalize from what I observed. Like people I met, I always had doubt if I know that I know that I know. Basically, I trusted in myself to transact fairly, economically, politically and relationally for a full and happy life. I failed miserably. I found this to be futile. I realized that I was trying to swim better in the wrong pool. Is this you, too? Have you thought, “Is there a better way”? So, think, which is more likely – unity will come from a diverse set of “self expression” trusting their own power to come together as one or a diverse expressions of self powered by a trust in ONE identity? You have the opportunity to bring a different kind of hope to people you know who are trying to swim better in the wrong pool.