The Importance of Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation proves to be one of the most important aspects when it comes to both education and modern-day industry. In simple terms, intrinsic motivation is the act of doing an activity or task with a sheer passion for it. Passion proves to be the key to success, as it provides us with a sense of reason. Instead of performing tasks or activities simply because one enjoys it, a lot of the time people exhibit extrinsic motivation. This type of motivation emphasizes performing activities or tasks solely for external factors, such as compensation or validation. Unfortunately, modern day industry in recent decades has been plagued with superficial and materialistic ideals, which stems from education.

From youth, we are taught to learn subject material and simply regurgitate said material on exams. This provides room for comparison, allowing for unnecessary ideals of competition to arise among students. The examinations begin to define a student’s intelligence, which can often be especially degrading. Then, the sheer desire for good grades develops, which do not compensate for enjoyment of learning course material. This concept is then translated into the workplace in later life, and often creates cynical working environments. Therefore, it is crucial to fuel passion into modern day education, specifically through the encouragement of intrinsic motivation.

With intrinsic motivation, students are more likely to succeed, as they are willing to put in the effort due to their enjoyment of the subject matter. For instance, it helps in fueling one’s passions, as it drives students to achieve these goals. Establishing a grade curriculum which is both well-rounded and provides students with the niche-specific concepts allows for a more integrated and positive working environment. Experts argue that when students are less focused on short-term results, but long-term skills and implications, their overall positivity and performance goes up. This also applies to modern day industry. When employees pursue an occupation which fulfill their passions, performance increases, which corroborates that intrinsic motivation is a necessary component to occupational well-being.

It is evident that the creation of materialistic and greedy tendencies translates into modern occupation. For instance, employees might simply arrive at work with the sheer desire for compensation, without any sort of passion present. This creates a lackluster working spaces, with little to no room for creativity. Therefore, instilling these ideals from an early age might reverse these effects.

Overall, I believe it is necessary for students and young adults to question their passions. Not only does it create a more positive environment themselves, but those around them too. Fueling your interests is simply imperative, especially in high school. Thus, I recommend joining clubs, sports, and even engaging in outside extracurriculars to help develop and discover those interests. Trust me, you’ll thank me later!