motivationford.bsky.social
Creator of Motivational System Theory; the Thriving with Social Purpose Theory of Motivation and Optimal Functioning (with Peyton Smith); and the Taxonomy of Human Goals (with Nick Nichols). What are YOUR core personal goals? self-assess @ apg.gmu.edu
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👏👏👏 Consider that any description with a superlative (like “most” or “extremely” or even “worst” can be interpreted as winning if the desired image is “tough guy.” Channel a Republican voter’s mentality and choose short, emasculating images: loser, low IQ, wimpy, flaccid - or simply “LOTUS”!
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No. This will not be effective (see election results!). Given that Trump’s #1 core goal and psychic need is to be seen as superior to others (see belittling insults, bogus crowd & vote #s, made-up golf championships, etc.), the best address is “[Serial/Exposed] Loser Donald Trump…”. So much losing!
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No. This will not be effective (see election results!). Given that Trump’s #1 core goal and psychic need is to be seen as superior to others (see belittling insults, bogus crowd & vote #s, made-up golf championships, etc.), the best address is “[Serial/Exposed] Loser Donald Trump…”. So much losing!
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That is why his desire for vengeance against opponents is so insistent, and why he spends so much time playing golf under circumstances in which he can ensure that he always wins. Understanding an individual’s core personal goals can help people interpret and shape that person’s actions. (21 of 21)
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Unlike many dictators and strong men, exercising power and control is not ultimately at the core of what motivates Trump. Those may be situationally compelling motives, but the strongest and motivators are self-perceptions and validating inputs from others of his superiority over others. (20 of 21)
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That is how he satisfies his persistent need for self-image enhancement. Because that image is not built on self - or social awareness,
seeking validation of his perceived superiority over others FROM others is a necessary motivational supplement to this core personal goal. (19 of 21)
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(See Rick Reilly’s “Commander in Cheat” for an amazing demonstration of what an overamplified Superiority goal looks like on the golf course). Bottom line: the evidence suggests that President Trump is motivated, first and foremost, to seek out self-perceptions of dominance over others. (18 of 21)
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…cheating or ignoring contradictory facts (most would dismiss victories earned this way). Evidence regarding election results, crowd size estimates, votes received, hateful insulting of opponents, and unlikely golf achievements illustrate his obsession with comparing favorably to others. (17 of 21)
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#1: Superiority. This goal theme is about competing and winning, and, more generally, comparing favorably with others. This appears to be the most compelling goal theme for President Trump, as evidenced by the fact that he regards winning as motivationally essential even if it requires…. (16 of 21)
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Wanting to be regarded positively is a near-universal goal for humans, but the degree to which that dominates Trump’s thinking is extraordinary. Indeed, the frequency of his efforts to seek praise and admiration, and his apparent inability to detect insincere adulation, is astonishing. (15 of 21)
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#2: Social Resource Acquisition. Trump’s insatiable need for flattery and adulation clearly indicates that this goal theme motivates much of his behavior, with the value of these social resources outweighing the motivational potency of material resources by a considerable margin. (14 of 21)
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Evidently not. So his continuous need for positive self-evaluations may be a more surface-level phenomenon than some have suggested - more like quenching a thirst (which requires constant inputs) rather than addressing an underlying psychological vulnerability. (13 of 21)
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#3: Positive Self-Evaluations. This has been nominated as a compelling motive by many psychologists. But does he have sufficient self-awareness to experience emotions like shame, embarrassment, or self-loathing? Or enough social awareness to experience empathy for others? (12 of 21)
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#4: Self-Determination. This is an especially powerful goal for Trump (“I’ll do what I want”). And yet it is a goal theme that is prized by much of humanity. So while it clearly seems to be a major source of motivational fuel, it is perhaps not the most unique part of his personality. (11 of 21)
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People who are authentically “into” money and material possessions for their own sake do not need others to admire, resent, or even know about those achievements. They are their own reward. That does not seem to match the behavior patterns one typically associates with President Trump. (10 of 21)
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And yet it is the top three goal themes listed below that appear to be the most potent in motivating his thoughts and actions.
#5: Material Gain. This may seem obvious, and yet material gain may be more often a means to other core personal goals rather than an end in itself. (9 of 21)
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That leaves five goal themes that the evidence suggests are at the core of Trump’s personality. These are the outcomes that, when “achieved,” reliably bring him the greatest levels of satisfaction and fulfillment. (8 of 21)
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Goal themes focused on desired affective states may be salient in some circumstances, but they do not stand out as concerns that are persistently a priority: entertainment, tranquility, happiness, bodily sensations, physical well-being. Ditto for safety goals and management goals. (7 of 21)
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We can also dismiss the goal themes focused on learning and personal growth: exploration, understanding, mastery, intellectual creativity, task creativity, individuality, unity, and transcendence. These is little evidence that these goal themes are at all compelling for President Trump. (6 of 21)
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We can quickly rule out the set of 4 integrative social relationship (other-enhancing) goal themes: belongingness, social responsibility, equity, and resource provision. The evidence clearly suggests a lack of interest in fairness, keeping commitments, and the welfare of others. (5 of 21)
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There is more than sufficient evidence to assess the goal themes that are likely the core motives explaining Trump’s systematic patterns of choices, actions, and justifications (setting aside random acts of nonsense). Let’s use the Taxonomy tool to try to pinpoint those goal themes. (4 of 21)
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The most compelling of those thoughts - the ones that we have the strongest feelings about and that we actively prioritize in our goal seeking - can be defined as core personal goals. Most people have 2-5 such goal themes at the core of their identity and personality. (3 of 21)
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The Ford & Nichols Taxonomy of Human Goals (see apg.gmu.edu) is a motivational tool that includes 24 goal themes encompassing the full range of motivationally guiding thoughts that people have about desired and undesired consequences. (2 of 21)
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THREAD Yesterday Marc Elias posted the following puzzlement: “I am certain that Donald Trump and his Republican enablers want to subvert democracy to wield autocratic political power. I also know that Trump is capable of pure cruelty. What I am unsure of is Trump’s motivations.” (1 of 21)