Motivation and Behavior

" ... he was trying to prove how different he was 

from everyone else. He did it in the hope of 

attracting the attention of somebody else ...

somewhere, someday ... who was the same."

Michael Chabon

Life can be a lonely process in spite of the people surrounding us whether nurturing or annoying.  The motivation to be the same is a hopeful gesture to blend in and be accepted.  The outcast, motivated to stand out side of the norm, reflects the desire to be recognized by a kindred spirit.

To blend in suggests being smoothed into a greater mixture.  It infers the gain of self-recognition through group effort.  The individual standing alone pays the price of isolation and runs the risk of turning against himself.  The loner also has the choice to focus on personal skills attracting like minded wayfarers. 

Whether praised or broken, we gather insight as we move forward.  Conflict or disharmony produces detours, but our yearning remains.  The motivation is to create definition of who we are at this time and our behaviors will be remembered by those whom shared our space.