What are our motives?

What are our motives?

 “… In a flash of certainty,” he wrote, “I saw that if one’s motives are wrong, nothing can be right.  It makes no difference whether you are a mailman, a hairdresser, an insurance salesman, a housewife – whatever.  As long as you are serving others, you do the job well.  When you are concerned only with helping yourself, you do it less well – a law as inexorable [unchangeable] as gravity.”

-          Arthur Gordon [as quoted in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey]

When I was reading the book from which I quoted above, this article stroked me.   It was Sunday at dusk and me, having a cup of tea in a certain café around my neighbourhood.  I had no pen but did not hesitate to borrow from someone around and extracted it on a piece of paper hoping that the issue would be something worth discussing.  Unfortunately, I don’t know who Gordon was or is.  But he gotta be a great man because he’s got a great saying on who we people are. 

Inevitably, I believe that we should start from defining what MOTIVE is.  Motive is something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.  Everything we do is geared towards serving our motive.  In crime investigation, the very crucial question to figure out somebody’s involvement is whether or not that somebody has/had a motive to commit the crime. 

Let’s take the issue to a wider horizon, shall we?  A motive could be right/wrong, significant/insignificant, intrinsic/extrinsic, divine/worldly, etc.  Even to start from what Gordon stated, “… As long as you are serving others [a right motive], you do the job well [a right action].  When you are concerned only with helping yourself [a wrong motive], you do it less well [a wrong action].  I say, the quest for search of what our real motives are in everything we think and do, leads us to answering who we are.  What does motivate us to do what we do?  Is it the quest for recognition, desire for deriving intrinsic pleasure, jealousy, envy, vengefulness, observance of God’s commandments, not to deviate from societal norms, rules and laws, …. what?

I suppose we can broadly classify motives into two first:  heavenly and earthly.  All right motives are heavenly and vice versa; but all earthly motives are not right.  Therefore, we can again classify earthly motives into right and wrong.  It goes without saying that all wrong motives are not heavenly. 

Let’s start from heavenly [divine] motives.  Those Christian people who are dedicated and determined to be fully engaged in righteous acts and thoughts in pursuit of inheriting the promised heaven are blessed.  These are people that after their next-to-none priority, which is observance of God’s commandments, believe in living up to societal expectations, being a patriot [responsible and concerned citizen].  These please God. 

We ordinary people call such citizens Good Christian or even when the worse comes, fanatic.  I ponder, it is like what we stereotypically say True Love rather than just Love.  When we fail to be what is implied by the word Christianity or Love, we keep on coining new words.  At least for these two divine words, Christianity and Love, we have a dichotomous scenario; either Christian or not Christian, either we Love or do not Love.  We cannot get away from the fact by clichéd words or stipulated thoughts.  Love is truth.  Christianity is observance of God’s commandments.  Nothing more, nor less.  They both are manifested in our day-to-day actions, not just talking.  We could have a crash, a caring feeling, interest, or affection on, to, or towards somebody.  We sometimes blindly call all there feelings Love and when we think that we have transcended to a higher degree of feeling, we call it True Love.  I hear many people, I am not exception either, saying there is no True Love these days.  ይኼም ድሮ ቀረ እንዴ? 

Those heavenly driven motives instigate [agitate] people to Love every creature except devil [Satan]; to hate not the trespasser but the trespasses.  I think it is self-explanatory because LOVE IS THE ANSWER, remember? 

Speaking of the earthly good motives, one thing just crossed my mind.  These days I have discerned the self-called civilised [modern] class of the society philosophising in the way they lead their spiritual life.  They are heard saying they believe in One God but not necessarily that there is one religion despite the words of One God through His Apostle, St. Paul who said ONE GOD, ONE RELIGION, and ONE BAPTISM.  They also say there is no need to fast, go to church, give alms, attend/participate liturgical masses and prayers.  All that matter is to be good.  Wow what a doctrine! What a divine thought!  What a pity though, that these people are usually found to be cynics and shrewd. If they were really seen walking their talk, they bet they are right.  What is the truth about these people is that they are atheists in their hearts and call the name of God in stylish manner just to show off.  They merely habituated saying OH MY GOD, JESUS CHRIST, OH LORD, ….  It is very difficult for them to admit that they are atheists; therefore, they call Almighty’s name.  They find it very hard to live up to Christian’s expectations.  They are in ambivalence.  They opt to psychologically defend themselves.  They say their motives, even if earthly, are just.  The problem is that they only say so.  Had we really believed in righteousness [commendation] and guilty verdict [condemnation], we should have backed off from our misdeeds. Disappointingly though, we are not as doers as talkers.

I should not be misunderstood here.  I am not saying all atheists are evil.  There are people whose earthly motives are right but not meant for divine.  [ሀይማኖት ከምግባር እንዲሉ ምግባር ኖሯቸው ሀይማኖት የሌላቸው].  For me these are poor handicapped ones who has lost one of the four basic dimensions of our being human being: physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual.  I think they lack the last one.  Is it possible to deny the fact and presumed innocent?  I’m afraid not. 

If we attempt to demonstrate a high standard of good deeds whenever we make sure that somebody is watching us or will take a note of what we do, then we are called N-recognition [N stands for high Need of something].  Usually, these kind of people are vulnerable to be reactive; not proactive.  They don’t act; they are acted upon.  They don’t live; they are lived.  They are opportunists.  If they feel that they are not getting adequate recognition for what they do or say, they won’t hesitate to back off.                                       Mind you, I don’t mean seeking/getting recognition is wrong.  But it should come secondary as a bonus, not as the main motive but as a bi-product.   Otherwise, what we do may testify that we have a very questionable integrity. 

Let’s see the other side of the coin of those who are N–recognition, i.e. negating both the action and the motive.  As there are people who don’t act unless unrecognised, on the other hand there are some pathetic people who adversely act unless recognised despite the right principles they profess.   Leaving alone those that are awkwardly irresponsible and shameless, have not you discerned those who hesitantly pee [urinate] on a street/walls/fences, under the curtain of darkness.  I have a message for these guys; pardon me, I mean brats.  ባናጸዳም አናቆሽሽ፡፡ 

ልጨምር፡

ጽድቅና ኩነኔ ቢኖርም በይኖርም

ከክፋት ደግነት ሳይሻል አይቀርም

            -Dr.  Kebede Michael

The bad motives are rampant, especially in these days where many people hold scarcity mentality rather than abundant mentality.   If someone is convinced that things are scarcer, his/her motive will not be the right one.  He/she becomes voracious [insatiable], jealous [envious], filled with hatred and perceive others as his antagonists rather than partners.   H/She does not want to accept others’ rights to share what the world offers.   His/her motives are manifested in his/her actions.  They are manipulative, mischievous, and pretentious.  What a pity that such bloodsuckers easily deceive many people!  I ponder, would there be manipulators if there were no ones to be manipulated?  I quote:  ‘… It’s the old but ever pertinent question again:  do we see the cup as half full or half empty?  The cup is the cup – but the choice of viewpoint is ours….’ [Source: Meditations for Busy People, How to stop worrying and stay calm, by Stephen Bowkett, 1996].

There are a different group of people whose motive are right but do not express them in their actions.  They are humble inside, but their face is always frowning.  They are so kind in their heart but they seem to like their bark.  They don’t say good, but they do good.  They don’t mean to hurt anybody, but they get someone and themselves hurt.  These sorts of people are fast to go back to redress [regret] their mistakes.  Most of the time we people see what is manifested not what or why it is meant.  Therefore, we find it difficult to understand these kinds of people and perceive them as if they are what they do rather than what they meant.  Nevertheless, these people desperately need our sympathy and help.  They want to make it up to us.  What hinder them from not doing is perhaps their pride, culture, and the manner they were raised.  And hence, it is up to us to make them the way we want them to be.  If we deject [dishearten] them, they will reflect inward and their motive would mimic their actions. 

Just to recapitulate,

Motives         Actions          Remark

Right               Right               Blessed but

quite rare.

Right               Wrong                        Actions are

heard louder

                                                than words. 

So, it hurts.

Wrong                        Right               Almost

impossible.  Even so, only because of

                                                coincidental/

                                                manipulative.

Wrong                        Wrong                        Rampant. 

Even these

deceive us.

So my friend, where do you belong? Where do you want to belong? And why not you don’t find yourself in the category you want to belong?  Have you noticed these categories of people?

Your reply is awaited anxiously as usual.

Have a blessed day!

Yared G.

Tuesday 13 August 2002. 

‘Today – and every day – my cup is half full.’                - Bowkett