Buzzworthiness Via Human Motivation
For the last few decades, a lot of research has been done on the phenomenon of human motivation. One theory is that people are motivated to achieve something because they believe it will make them more attractive to other people. In other words, if you want friends or romance, you need to excel at something.
However, motivation is a complicated concept; it's not always dependent on what others think about us. There are many different types of motivations and there is no way to predict how an individual will respond in any given situation. For example, when some people see someone else achieving their goals with ease and enjoying the moment, they might feel a lack of achievement and become frustrated. On the other hand, others may see the same situation and feel inspired to try harder. It all depends on a person's mindset.
But what about situations where you are unlikely to win big? Are there any effective ways to be motivated with small tasks that don't obviously have a payoff? This is where the "buzz factor" comes in. What is the buzz factor? It is a new idea based on a combination of basic psychological principles and high-level concepts of human motivation.
The buzz factor is a new idea based on a combination of basic psychological principles and high-level concepts of human motivation.
In his book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink identifies three components to the concept of motivation: Autonomy (the desire for control), Mastery (the urge to get better at something that matters), and Purpose (a sense of larger mission). In other words, there are some things we want to do because they are intrinsically interesting and enjoyable, there are things we want to do simply because we want to be good at them, and there are things we want to do in order to make our lives mean something.
This is not exactly new information. We are all familiar with the kinds of motivations that can support our needs. For example, when you want to get better at something, you want to learn from someone who has already mastered the subject. When you want to make your life matter, you become a writer so that one day, your words will be read by others. Like these kinds of intentions, the buzz factor is about propelling people towards meaningful goals in a way that may not necessarily involve an external reward.
The buzz factor is part science and part art. It's based on basic ideas like motivation and autonomy that people have long understood to be essential parts of our lives: Doing things for their own sake instead of to please others or earn rewards.
The buzz factor is part science and part art. It's based on basic ideas like motivation and autonomy that people have long understood to be essential parts of our lives.
Resisting the urge to make buzzworthiness a gimmick, it's based on the same kind of high-level concepts as drive (above). On the one hand, we have long understood that there is intrinsic value in things like making art or exercising. Nothing can be taken away from these activities, even if they don't make us rich or famous. On the other hand, we have always wanted something more than just watching others succeed; sometimes we want to improve ourselves or our communities just because it makes sense and is right to do.
So how does this play out in the context of small tasks that don't require huge investments of time, money or effort? For example, if we are trying to get people to become more thoughtful, why not challenge them with a simple issue like: "Each day, make a conscious decision to be more thoughtful and purposeful." Or: "Read five stories of people who inspire you and share the one thing they did that made you want to follow their example."
The buzz factor is a type of motivation that isn't easy to face. We seem naturally drawn towards rewards for our achievements; we want other people to think well about us and suggest us for things. This is human nature and we can't change it, but we can use our knowledge of human motivation and behavior to create an environment that draws people towards self-improvement with a realistic approach that doesn't require huge sacrifices in time or money.
If you want to adopt the buzz factor of motivation for your own purposes, consider these steps:
Identify a meaningful purpose for your task. For example, if you are trying to promote compassionate citizenship in others, make sure you know why this is important for the world and what you would like society to look like when everyone lives up to these standards. Define some realistic ways people can improve themselves through small tasks that move towards this purpose. For example, if you are trying to promote compassionate citizenship, you might include a small task like: "Do one thing every day that shows compassion for others. It could be as simple as asking someone how they are doing or helping an elderly person across the street." You may also want to promote online things like: "Share five stories of compassionate people who inspire you and help others with their work." Limit your scope. It's not necessary to get everyone in the world to participate in your cause; it's only necessary to get enough people on board that your message makes sense. Define how success looks and how you will reach it. For example, you might have a goal of "creating 20 percent more compassionate citizens." Or: "Creating 100 stories that show compassion."
You can use this method to create the buzz factor of motivation in areas that are more meaningful and important than simply winning the lottery. In other words, we can apply our understanding of some basic principles to create an environment that makes everyone want to be better. After all, there is no such thing as a meaningful task if it doesn't change people's lives — turning something ordinary into something worth doing.
When you think about it, many of the best things in life are not necessarily bold or flashy. We don't need to succeed in order for our lives to mean something. We don't need to win a Nobel Prize or be adored by everyone. We don't even need to get rich in the normal sense of the word. Instead, we can do things like help strangers with their mail or find ways to support our local community. The buzz factor isn't about getting an award — it's about living altruistically and with purpose.
Related: A New Idea for Motivating People to Give Money to Charity
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Video Transcript / Summary: When we think about being motivated to do something, it's not just about rewards. We are drawn towards meaningful pursuits that reflect what we consider important for our own lives; things like feeling we belong to a community or getting our work noticed.
Conclusion: Consider how to get people to be more thoughtful, compassionate and aware.
If you want to create buzzworthiness, try these steps:
Identify a meaningful purpose for your task. For example, if you are trying to promote compassionate citizenship in others, make sure you know why this is important for the world and what you would like society to look like when everyone lives up to these standards. Define some realistic ways people can improve themselves through small tasks that move towards this purpose. For example, if you are trying to promote compassionate citizenship, you might include a small task like: "Do one thing every day that shows compassion for others.