Motivation is a Meme
17.05.25
I had to write this post eventually. Motivation has been done to death, but I'll throw my hat in the ring. There is a lot to be said about the topic, so I will clear up some terminology first. To begin with, one can be motivated by rewards like praise or money, and that is considered extrinsic motivation. I think that's fine and can be a starting point for getting things done, but there is also intrinsic motivation which is what I'm interested in.
Intrinsic motivation is an internal drive for enjoying the fulfillment of the activity itself. Closely related to that term is passion, but it has an important distinction. Passion is an intense attachment to the activity itself instead of just the fulfillment of it. It comes from finding meaning and identity in the activity, and it leads to persistence.
I've always struggled with getting things done. I procrastinate, I quit, and I don't stay consistent. These days, I'm getting a lot more done. Why is that? Well, I don't have a clear answer. I simply did the whole Nike "just do it" thing. It began when I started learning German. I have always felt discontented with my lack of achievement, and I feel as though I have great potential, so I felt good knowing that I was working toward a tangible goal.
Am I passionate about German? I don't know, but I sure do make a big deal about it. I make it my whole personality because I believe in meme magic. Passion revolves around identity because in order to stay self-coherent you have to remain steadfast in your commitment. This is where identity intersects and where a lot of my motivation is derived.
The aesthetic alone is deeply exciting, and that's enough to motivate me. Is passion really supposed to be love at first sight? For me, I simply like the idea of being a polyglot-philosopher-artist-programmer-know-it-all. How can I be passionate about something I don't even try? Just do it, and you'll learn to love it.
I don't really care, so what? I didn't care about those awful YouTube essays I would watch, but I still watched them. If I'm doing something I don't care about, it should be something productive and satisfying. The deep dissatisfaction I had needed to be conquered, and I don't see any "passion" swinging in to save the day.
I'm intrinsically motivated by the idea of achievement. I want to win and defeat my tasks every single day. I want to triumph in my quest to become a changed person. This motivation comes from within, so what exactly is it? Intrinsic motivation has three components: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
I feel a sense of autonomy because I feel like I have more control over my actions. That's interesting, isn't it? I'm always in control of my actions, but I feel like I have more control because I removed all these distractions. Doomscrolling doesn't further my goals. It's more like an addiction than a self-reflective decision. Really, autonomy is about freedom from control.
As for mastery, it's been a huge motivator. I feel like I'm improving every single day, and I feel good for even doing anything at all. I think motivation has to include achievable goals that aren't far away: practice daily, finish that book, pass that exam, et cetera. Become fluent in German is far away. Practicing on Anki and Duolingo every day? Now that's something I can work with.
Purpose is a lot harder to talk about because it's something very personal. For some, it's about belonging to a community or a team. For others, it's simply about feeling that your work means something greater than yourself. I make my self-improvement into a narrative. The first is an internal narrative, the idea that I'm going on a quest. The second is an external narrative, what I write here on this blog.
My blog is essentially about convincing myself that I'm passionate about what I do. This self-narrative is one big meme that is becoming more real each day. That doesn't make it disingenous or inauthentic. There is a raw authenticity to my motivation and to my fantastical self-narration. What can I say? It gets the job done. Motivation is a meme, and that's magical.