Happiness or Effectance Part 4

In summary, Kevin Durant makes millions of dollars playing NBA basketball. When listening to him, he stated that he left the Thunder to play for the Warriors for the pursuit of winning the championship period. Also in Oakland, we have another team called the Oakland Raiders. Their motto is the “Commitment to Excellence.” Professional sports has it right, in that it is not about a transitory or intermittent feeling of happiness. Effectance, achievement, mastery, competition and submitting to pain or abasement are primary needs that motivate behavior. Feelings come and go like the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. Hedonism can lead to unsatisfactory and self-defeating behaviors resulting in a non-fulfilling life -- drug use, gambling addictions, sexual promiscuity etc. . Mastery leads to goalsetting, expectancies and planning for the future which is paramount for a self-fulfilling and meaningful existence. PS Tony and I completed on Father’s Day, the Burton Creek half marathon trail run near Tahoe City, at Lake Tahoe. We’re still practicing. I haven’t mastered running just yet. I’m still working at it. However, I came in first in my age division 75 through 79 and Tony came in second in his age division 65 through 69. Do I accept the fact that at some point I’m going to be injured? Yes! Do I know when or where it will happen? No, all I know is that from my running history, that either an overuse injury, or an Achilles, or sciatica discomfort, a meniscus surgery, etc. will happen as it has happened in the past. One can argue whether or not Effectance, achievement or mastery are psychological needs. They might be biologically-based, learned or combination of the two. One cannot argue, however, that they are not motives that drive behavior. As NFL great Ed Budde said, “Keep moving.”