How to Persuade the Lazy Person - Inspiration vs. Desperation

Reinforcement Theory suggests that people are motivated to avoid pain and seek pleasure.  Bradac, Bowers, and Courtright asserted that the same is true when people are being persuaded.  If a person agrees with a particular position, they will find it inspiring and evaluate the source positively.  If a person disagrees with a particular position, they will find it offensive and evaluate the source negatively.

Basically, there are only two things that motivate us in life:  inspiration and desperation.  We either move toward that which inspires us or, we move away from something that fills us with despair or discomfort.  The majority of the world uses desperation as a motivator.  It is like a cattle prod forcing you to move and take action.  I can motivate anyone in the world with desperation.  The problem is that motivation spurred by desperation does not last.  Do you know any lazy teenagers?  I promise you, I can motivate them - guaranteed.  I'll take them for a boat ride, and while I am in the middle of the lake,  I'll throw them off and hold their head under the water.  What will I see-besides bubbles?  Instant motivation.  They'll fight and struggle until they get that breath of air.  Once they can breathe easily, they're back to being lazy.  When desperation is the motivator, people are in an "away from" mentality.  This temporary motivation won't last, until threat or fear becomes prominent again.  Desperation is rooted in logic.  They often are so preoccupied with what they're trying to escape that they don't know where they're heading.  They are always in a panic, have to mode.    

If you want motivation to last, you need to rely on inspiration.  Inspiration is rooted in our emotions.  The positive results of inspiration as the motivator are obvious.  These people tend to be proactive, driven type personalities.  They don't need a carrot dangling in front of them to get anything accomplished.  They are happier and enjoy greater fulfillment in life than those who are desperation-driven.  If you just check the help-wanted section of your newspaper, these types of people are always in demand.  To be most effective, inspiration needs to be internalized.  Motivation becomes long-term when the goal taps into inner drive and emotion.  The key to finding success is to be emotionally motivated with a purpose.  Take a look at the following Quadrants of Motivation.

Let's take a look at the motivation quadrants.  This will open you eyes to really understand how motivation works, not only in your life but also you to help motivate those around you.  Understand there are different levels of motivation and many different ways to motivate.  Notice motivation does not exist in the middle of the grid.  This is the comfort zone where we experience complacency.  Now, how do you get someone to move outside the middle?  Let's start from the short-term, easy form of motivation.  This is quadrant D where we find external desperation.  Anyone can motivate or be motivated in this area.  Let's take your present job for example.  Let's say you hate your job.  You don't want to go to work.  You go work because you feel you have to go.  This external desperation tells you that if you don't go to work you will lose your job, you'll have no income, you'll lose your home, etc.  This is the area most people reside.  They do things at the last minute because they are forced to and have to.  

The next area between internal and external desperation is compliance.  Again you aren't internally motivated, only going through the emotions can you have to.  The next area is quadrant C.  This is internal desperation.  Again you don't want to go to work, but you feel the internal desperation that this is what needs to be done.  This is what you are supposed to do.  You feel a duty or obligation to go to work.  You might feel obligated because of a project you are working on.  You might feel duty to your manager or coworkers to be there and help out with the workload.  You still go even though you don't want to be there.  Watch all you'll find that the people who use desperation to motivate themselves are not happy.  You will never be truly a master of your destiny and achieve the success you want until you come to the other side of the quadrants.

The next quadrant is B.  This is external inspiration.  You feel moved from outside sources and it inspires you to do what you need to do.  Remember, inspiration is rooted in your emotion.  Once you tap into your emotion you will be able to propel yourself and others to long-term permanent motivation.  In this quadrant you do things out of respect or love.  You go to work to provide the best for your family.  You want to send you children to the best schools.  Buy a new home for your family.  You are motivated by the external things around you to go to work.  Between internal and external inspiration is commitment.  You go to work because you feel you have made a commitment to be there, and you are driven to keep that commitment.

The best type of motivation is quadrant A.  This is internal inspiration.  This is what we call passion.  You have met people that have tapped into their passion.  They don't need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning.  During your presentation when you can get yourself and others to tap into their passion their internal inspiration you have pure long-term motivation.  Using the job example you are exciting to go to work.  You are doing what you love to do.  You are changing the world and serving people around you and you have passion to share your message or product or service with the world.

In a persuasive setting, you can use every quadrant of the motivation equation.  The four areas can be used to tap into what motivates people the most.  Some people can only be motivated in the short-term and you have to use desperation.  When you tap in to passion, you have somebody who will fulfill your long-term call to action and do what you ask them to do.  They will be excited and do exactly what you asked them to do.  Passion is the greatest motivator.  When you are inspired internally to become the best in your field, you are operating from quadrant A.  You love what you do.  This emotional drive and desire accompanies your passion as you persuade and influence others.  It also becomes contagious.  Being motivated by passion and inspiration not only increases your own happiness but also your ability to persuade and influence others.

Let's take a closer look at how all of this relates together.  Those of you who have been in school can relate to one external motivation: grades.  In education, grades are the primary motivation vehicle.  Teachers and administrators assume that the opportunity to get good grades will motivate students.  Studies have shown over and over again that such outside controls are unlikely to inspire genuine intuition, creativity, deep concentration, or passion.  Not only will these attributes be absent, but also the subjects will likely find it unpleasant.  One study had groups of college students spend about three hours learning complex material on neuro-physiology.  Half the students were told they would be tested and graded after their study session.  The other half was told they were going to use the material they had learned by teaching it to others.  After the three hours, the students were surveyed.  The students who believed they were learning so they could help and teach others were more internally motivated than those believing they would be tested.   

Copyright 2002, Magnetic Persuasion, Inc.