[Neurons] 2022 Neurons #13 DISTINGUISH D & B MOTIVATONS

[Michael Hall]

From: L. Michael Hall

2022 Neurons #13

March 28, 2022

Distinctions #11 

 

DISTINGUISHING

THE D & B MOTIVATIONAL LEVELS

 

Abraham Maslow introduced the two dimensions or levels of human motivation
in 1941, the D-Motivation level and the B-Motivation level.  He developed
this distinction to answer the long debated question in psychology at that
time, "What is the most important or deepest motivational drive in human
beings?"  At that time they called that drive "instinct."  Freud suggested
sex, then later death, the life.  Adler said the social instinct, and also
the inferiority instinct.  Jung had other ideas as did every other
psychologist of the time.

 

What Maslow discovered in his many studies-he studied chimpanzees with Harry
Harlow (he began as a Behaviorist), then the Blackfoot Indians as an
anthropological study as guided by Ruth Benedict, then female sexuality.
>From his studies he recognized that some needs operate by deficiency.  When
you lack what you need, you feel a driving motivation to obtain the
gratification.  And when you satisfy the need, the motivational drive goes
away.  It dissipates.  Other needs operate from an entirely different
principle, that of abundance, and a different dynamic, that of being-ness.
When you lack a being-need, you also feel a driving need to gratify it.  But
unlike the D-needs, when you satisfy the B-need, the need and its capacity
expand.  Not only does the need grow, but so does its very capacity.

 

This means that D-needs and D-values operate from the principle of "the
more, the less."  The more you gratify the need, the less it drives you.
Conversely, the B-needs and B-values operates from the opposite pattern of
"the more, the more."  The more you gratify the need, the more you want, the
more you are capable of experiencing the being need and value.

 

For humans, Maslow identified four levels of D-needs and D-values: Survival
(food, water, air, shelter, sex, etc.), Safety (structure, order, security),
Social (love and affection, bonding and attachment), and Self (competence in
doing and value as a member of the group).  These things motivate; yet they
are time-limited motivations.  Eventually you get enough.  Eventually, the
more gratifications, the less motivation.  Now for animals, that's just
fine.  They can be healthy and happy with their D-needs met.

 

But not humans.  No way!  This is where Maslow, although an atheist,
discovered that "man has a higher nature."  There are needs, drives, values,
cognitions, etc. that are being-values and needs and that operate from "the
more, the more" principle.  These are also non-instrumental needs-that is,
they work best when they are indulged for their own sake and not as a means
for something else.  Another contrast.  The D-needs are instrumental which
is why we humans cannot live in them.  There's something in us that keeps
pulling us upward-upward to meaning, knowledge, justice, fairness, equality,
beauty, order, giving love, contribution, excellence, making a difference,
collaboration, etc.   D-motivation and B-motivation-what a distinction!

 

If you don't distinguish between the D and the B-needs and values, you are
very likely to substitute the D-values for the B-values.  Do that and you
live the life of an animal!  You might come to think that "the purpose of
life" is consumption.  Or you might think it is sex ... or money ... or
safety ... or self-esteem.  And what's wrong with that way of thinking?
Lots!  It is low of a bar for humans.  You were made for so much more.  You
are missing out on all of the B-values which make life truly human, truly
meaningful.

 

Yet there is more danger.  Fail to distinguish the D and B-realms and then
if you fail to gratify your B-needs, you are in danger of suffering from a
whole range of meta-pathologies.  When you lack a rich sense of purpose and
meaning- you are susceptible to depression, finding life futile, feeling
hopeless, joyless, etc.  You may experience an existential angst, "Is this
all there is?"  And with that, your very spirit will sicken, you will lose
heart, and you will have no persistence or resilience when things get tough.

 

Conversely, making the distinction between these two realms with the needs
and values in each and you will be able to find your passion or passions in
life.  That's because passion occurs in the B-values.  That is the secret to
becoming fully human/fully alive.

 

 

 

 

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Neuro-Semantics

P.O. Box 8

Clifton CO. 81520 USA

www.neurosemantics.com 

 

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