"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.