Week 11 Blog Prompt

Option 1:

We all want to enjoy life and seek ways to make ourselves happy. Indeed, we spend much of lives chasing the goal of happiness. But how good are we at actually finding it? Dan Gilbert discusses the ways in which we sabotage our own happiness in his TED talk. Watch the video, share your reactions, and discuss ways in which you can incorporate more synthetic happiness into your life.

Option 2:

Motivation is not a stable force, but often waxes and wanes. Throughout your time at Austin College, your motivation for school will undoubtedly be higher at some times and lower at others. How can we use the principals of motivation we discussed in class and read about in the text to help ourselves push through times of low motivation? Specifically, I want you to discuss why you chose to come to Austin College and use 2 different theories of motivation to explain your decision. I also want you to plan an intervention for yourself for how you can maintain motivation to succeed until graduation.

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5 thoughts on “Week 11 Blog Prompt

  1. Have you ever read “Civilization and its Discontents?” If not, I recommend it. I think you would find it interesting. Or just look up the pleasure-principle. It’s related to your first option here. Very interesting stuff!

    • Thanks for the comment and the suggestion! I did read Civilization and Its Discontents in graduate school, but it has been a while. For my students/readers who aren’t familiar, you can view the text via here. The pleasure-principle is certainly related to our pursuit of happiness, though I wonder what Gilbert would say about an unrestrained id’s ability to be any more successful at making us happy.

      • Oh yes, and I would definitely agree with that. Freud’s assertion is true for the majority of people, I’d say…but I think anyone who desires success has to learn to endure discomfort, because in discomfort there is growth.

      • Indeed, that reminds me of the quote (Henry Cloud I believe?) “We change our behavior when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing. Consequences give us the pain that motivates us to change.”

  2. Pingback: Week 11 Student Blog Spotlight: Topics – Emotion & Motivation | Dr. MacFarlane's General Psychology Blog

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