Estimated reading time: 3 mins
When it comes to understanding human behavior, the differences between motivation and satisfaction are rarely considered. In fact, many people don’t distinguish between motivation and satisfaction. The reality is that there is a distinct difference between them, and this can have far-reaching implications on our lives.
How Do We Distinguish Between Motivation and Satisfaction?
According to renowned psychologist Jordan Peterson, motivation and satisfaction are two separate concepts that need to be understood in order to make meaningful progress in life. He explains that while motivation is a driving force towards action, satisfaction is the result of achieving our goals. It’s important to note that both of these concepts exist independently of each other; one doesn’t necessarily lead to the other.
Let’s begin by considering motivation first. Motivation describes why we do something: it’s what drives us to take action towards a goal or an ambition we have set ourselves. It can come from external sources such as encouragement from friends or family members, or internal sources such as personal ambition or passion for a task at hand. Motivation is essentially about creating momentum towards something; it gives us the energy and purpose needed to reach our desired outcome.
On the other hand, satisfaction describes how we feel after achieving something – it’s arriving at our destination after setting off on a journey with motivational fuel. Satisfaction involves completing tasks in order to gain gratification and fulfilment; it gives us a sense of pride when we look back on what we have achieved in life so far – regardless of whether it was big or small.
To illustrate this further let’s consider two case examples: one involving work and one involving relationships:
Case 1: Work
Motivation – A young adult might be motivated by ambition and monetary rewards when taking up a new role at their workplace; they want to succeed in their career and prove themselves capable of performing well within their job role so that they can reap the rewards associated with it (e.g., salary increase).
Satisfaction – When successful at their role, this young adult may experience feelings of satisfaction for having accomplished something difficult but rewarding (e.g., meeting deadlines/targets); this might give them great pride in their work ethic which has led them onto bigger opportunities within their field of work.
Case 2: Relationships
Motivation – A couple might be motivated by love when deciding to commit fully into a relationship with each other; they want to show each other how much they care through thoughtful acts of kindness or words of affirmation etc…
Satisfaction – Once these thoughtful acts become routine gestures rather than intentional attempts at expressing love then they will experience feelings of contentment knowing that things are going well in their relationship despite no longer needing as much effort into displaying affection towards each other; this type of satisfaction could provide an extra bond between them leading onto deeper levels of commitment within the partnership itself .
It is clear from both cases outlined above that although motivation and satisfaction go hand-in-hand, there must always be an initial drive from either internal or external sources before any sort of reward can be gained from the process itself; without motivation nothing would ever get done! So although both concepts are intertwined together, it is still important for individuals not only recognize where these influences stem from but also understand how different types impacts on our daily lives too – especially if wanting to create meaningful changes within themselves .
