Becoming a Better Me as a Catholic Through the Theories of Motivation

by Father Joseph Kinda – September 2020

For my master’s degree in communications a few years ago, there were many topics over many courses that we addressed when trying to discuss what motivates us as people – and for our sake, for us as Catholics in America. Theories about motivation abound with many old and new slants as to what exactly it is that gets us to focus and move ahead on any idea, project and/or belief system. What can and should motivate us faith-wise to make us be that better self?

Dialogue with some founding fathers of the theory of motivation

When it comes to defining the word “motivation” there are many definitions that fit the bill but not as demonstratively as the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular manner as well as the general desire or willingness of someone to do something. It is the why question that we are interested in this article. There are a variety of motivational theories such as Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs, Alderfer’s ERG theory, McClelland’s achievement motivation theory, and Herzberg’s two-factor theory focused on what motivates people and addressed specific factors like individual needs and goals. The one we are honing in on for the purposes of this paper is Abraham Maslow’s well known theory of the hierarchy of needs. This Maslowvian approach is a theory of psychology explaining human motivation based on the pursuit of different levels of needs. The theory states that humans are motivated to fulfill their needs in a hierarchical order. This order begins with the most basic needs before moving on to more advanced needs. The ultimate goal, according to Maslow, is to reach the fifth level of the hierarchy: self-actualization. This theory, while considered by many to be aged, is a theory in psychology proposed by Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in Psychological Review. His proposal attests to the fact that a person will be motivated when his/her needs are fulfilled. This 5 tiers theory addresses our needs as people to be a person’s attempt at fulfilling five basic needs: physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization.
On the other hand, we must also address Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theory of personality which stipulates that human behavior is the result of the interactions among three component parts of the mind and human personality: the id, ego, and superego all developing at different stages in our lives. His theory places point blank importance on dynamic, unconscious psychological conflicts. Briefly stated the id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories, the super-ego operates as a moral conscience, and the ego is the realistic part that mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego. According to Freud, human behavior and motivation is the result of the interactions among these three component parts of the mind.
Initially there are not many similarities to be seen when comparing these two theories of behavior and motivation. Even the dates and times of their studies vary drastically. The “sitz -im-leben,” the situation in time, for the birth of both theories has had a tremendous effect on the theories themselves. Maslow defended his theory in 1943 while Freud was proclaiming his theory in 1897. Freud focused on early childhood experiences and their role in shaping their personality. Maslow on the other hand focused on the present and our control over shaping our personality. Freud gave the concept of fixations/conflicts whereas Maslow focused on needs and their shaping of our personality. Both studies/theories focused on personality, behavior and motivation. There are major differences between the two theories. Freud’s theory is classified as a psychoanalytic theory whose basic premise is that sexual desire is the basic motivator of all human behavior. On the other hand, Maslow’s theory is classified as a humanistic theory, and it asserts that human behavior is the study of personality by focusing on subjective experiences, free will, and the innate drive toward self-actualization. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ranks human needs from the most basic physical needs to the most advanced needs of self-actualization or sometimes referred to as fulfillment.

How do the theories of Abraham Maslow and Sigmund Freud help marketers?

Marketers are quite obsessed with how they can attract customers to reach the bottom line. How to reach and entice these prospective buyers is key to the marketing elite. To be able to see how people tick is a psychoanalysis in itself. The psychological understanding as to how to motivate buyers is any marketer’s dream and an answer to many prayers. So now we beg to ask the question: How do the theories of Abraham Maslow and Sigmund Freud help marketers in trying to entice and bring along potential customers who need their products? As stated above, we must take into consideration the personality, the behavior and the motivation of people and look at these three (3) aspects in light of the theories as well as the marketing strategy to understand then harness and then act upon. Successful marketing persuades a prospective client to purchase the product or service the marketer is trying to sell. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is to appeal directly to one or more of his/her basic needs. Here is where Malsow’s hierarchy comes into play. Many business students are taught to view Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a guideline against which to target marketing efforts, arguing that success depends on meeting one of Maslow’s identified needs. Although other needs theories also have relevance, Maslow’s needs hierarchy remains the foundation for many fruitful psychological approaches to marketing. Applied to marketing theory, your ability to effectively appeal to one of these motivational drivers is a key determinant of the marketer’s potential success. On the somewhat reverse side of this Maslowvian theory and marketing is Freud and his theory – psychoanalytically. Freud believed that the human psyche could be divided into the conscious and unconscious mind. These ideas can help market researchers determine why a consumer has made a particular purchase by focusing on their conscious and unconscious motivations, as well as the weight of societal expectations. Marketers have tried to apply the psychoanalytic theory to consumer behavior. A major application is using Freud’s inputs to create brand image. If a brand can appeal to a deep wish, fantasy, aggression or some escape from life, then consumers may equate a brand or specific line of products with a desire. That approach is head on in appealing to a Freudian marketing endeavor. It is most probable that in promotion and advertising, the appeal would take the route of sexy cars, scantily dressed men and women as well as party-like situations that would entice the potential buyer to see their need for the product at hand.
In the figure 4-3 in Belcher’s text, Splat is a company that is trying to dictate to its potential buyers/customers that to throw out the old you and put on the new you. They are trying to be youthful and different and new. Each element of the two theorists being studied are exemplified in this one ad for the customer to see, analyze, ruminate with and hopefully buy for the new you! In the case of Splat this new you will come when you change your hair color. Life will then be better.

What connection with one Christian’s life?

In life there is the constant tug and pull between what our inner self speaks to us in needing products and devices in our lives. All the newest “stuff” will enhance our life as well as add to our esteem, our look and our prominence amongst our peers and age group. On the opposite end of this “better me” is our Christian life calling us to be like Christ, imitate Christ and to follow Christ. The simple and giving life is what we are called to as Jesus followers and we are asked to take stock in ourselves daily as we journey with the Lord. This tug and pull of two completely opposite motivations can cause quite a bit of angst especially in the daily life of any Christian. The admonition not to love the world or the things in the world is directed to Christians by John the Apostle in the Bible: “Do not love the world or what is in the world. If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father finds no place in him, because everything there is in the world — disordered bodily desires, disordered desires of the eyes, pride in possession — is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world, with all its disordered desires, is passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever (1 John 2:15–17). We are called to live simply and not to conform to “The Kingdom of Thingdom”. This kind of Kingdom can separate us from the love and life of God that is preached to us by God’s son, Jesus Christ. Asking us as Christians to stay completely away from material things and needs is not the point. All must be done in moderation with the teachings of the Lord paramount in our minds and in our hearts. We are not being called to live the life of a vowed monk in poverty but to have in our lives the understanding that it is not just our own needs and likes that we must attend to, but and most importantly, the needs and the wants of the lesser amongst us. In the Kingdom of Thingdom, there is often not much room for fellow Christians. That is where the dichotomy, the calling and the angst of a Christian worldview come into play. God wants our lives to overflow with mercy, love, and compassion — the marks of His kingdom. As followers of Jesus, we have a choice: respond to unsettling realities in fear and withdraw or follow Him in responding to the greatest needs of our day with love and hope.
Matthew 25:35-36, 40 (The Bible of Jerusalem ) says clearly, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome,lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”37Then the upright will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you as a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you? When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?”.” The question to be asked after the above biblical quote is – What am I to do as a Christian? It kind of takes Jesus ’preachings and teachings in his “theories” to put the theoretical tenets of Maslow and Freud and put them in their place. We must choose and that is a daily struggle.
The question remains whether these two theories of Maslow and Freud align with or contradict our Christian beliefs and teachings? It is my belief that they do both. It is nice to know various theories that explain the inner workings of our minds and motivations. It is very keen to understand and meditate on how I am a living example of these theoretical approaches and beliefs. And yet, when I take my true textbook called the Bible into account, right there are the set of principles outlined for me in parables and words as to how I must live my life daily considering the distractions, the callings and desires. Keep your eye on the prize someone once said somewhere! In other words. Just be faithful.

References

Belch, G. E., & Belch, M. A. (2017). Advertising and Promotion An Integrated Marketing
Communications Perspective. NY, NY: McGraw-Hill Education Create.
Engine W.P., (June 4, 2014). Consumer Behavior Theories: Psychoanalytic Theory.
Husson University Press. https://www.e-marketingassociates.com/blog/things-freud-can-teach-you-about-how-to-market
King James Bible. (2017). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1769).
Murtaza, A., (September 16, 2015) Comparison of Sigmund Freud and Abraham Maslow. Word
Press. https://dudewheresmydp.wordpress.com/2015/09/16/psychology-1-a-comparison-between-the-psychoanalytic-and-humanistic-approaches/
Garnica. G., (November 20, 2017) A Catholic Spin on Maslow: Your Needs Define Your Eternal Destiny. Catholic Stand Publications. https://catholicstand.com/a-catholic-spin-on-maslow-your-needs-define-your-eternal-destiny/

Rev. Fr. Joseph Kinda