The Two Main Motivators of Humans - Pain and Pleasure

The two main motivators of humans are pain and pleasure. Humans are motivated by either avoiding or getting rid of pain, or by experiencing or increasing pleasure. Animals are also motivated by pain and pleasure so it is necessary to understand the way the human mind operates when attempting to obtain what it wants and eliminating what it doesn't want. Determining the order of needs that encompass human behavior provides better understanding as to what is most important as a means of motivation.

Research by Abraham Maslow resulted in his development of a hierarchy of needs of human behavior. Although he provides little data to support his concept, it has been widely accepted due to the common sense nature of the hierarchy. The first level in the hierarchy is physiological; this includes food, water, and shelter. The second level is safety; this is simply protection from danger. The third level is belongingness and love; he describes this as a connection with other people and includes love and affection. The fourth level is esteem; this is thinking of self in a positive manner and being seen in a positive manner by others. The fifth level is knowledge and understanding; this is simply making sense of the world and the people in it by learning. The sixth level is aesthetic needs; this is the desire for order and beauty. The seventh level is self-actualization; this is the idea of creating what we can with what we have. The eighth and final level is self-transcendence; this is becoming part of something bigger and better than self and to serve others without expectations of a return.

According to Maslow, not all needs have to be completely fulfilled in each level of the hierarchy in order to experience the next higher level. He further claims that nearly everyone is at least partially unfulfilled in all levels. The importance of understanding human motivation is based on how often and to what degree these needs are not met. Childhood experiences that are void of some or many of the lower level needs may result in these needs being more important during adulthood. Furthermore, the higher needs may be unimportant to this individual.

For most humans, avoiding or getting rid of dissatisfaction is the first step to motivation. Then obtaining satisfaction or pleasure becomes important. But, each person is different based on life experience. And, according to Maslow, these differences determine specific needs for each individual throughout life. However, as a general rule, when trying to motivate people, one should attempt to remove pain first, and then offer sources of pleasure.