Our desires run so deep that we usually say precisely what we want. But we are often so focused on our desires that we cannot hear others or, even worse, do not believe them.
It might be presumptuous to play this game of what do they want with living people, but we usually leave hints. Sometimes it does not take much guessing because people often tell us what they want. This might be easier than analyzing the shark from jaws or Batman, both of whom surprised me with their motivations.
So, using Steven Reiss’ 16 desires, let’s guess which desires motivate Elon Musk. Let’s start by digging up some quotes.
As a child, I would just question things.
Elon Musk
I say we trust Elon in this. He is inspired (and motivated) by curiosity. Fortunately for us, curiosity is one of the 16 desires, making guessing this desire easy!
Curiosity is the desire to Explore, Analyze, and Discuss. One of the most exciting things about the 16 desires is that there is no other motivation behind these desires; the desire IS the motivation! Someone who wants to explore and analyze is not doing it for an ulterior reason; the exploration and analysis are the rewards. I can talk emphatically about curiosity because it is one of my desires. Curiosity, after all, is the main reason I play this game.
Chances are, whatever your top desires are, you probably spend most of your time feeding them. Then, in your spare time, you probably try to figure out tools or plan time to get more of your desires.
With curiosity locked in for Elon, let’s guess what desires could be next. My guess is family is on his list of motivations too. He frequently talks about his children and his concerns that the world is not having enough children. It is not just that he has ten children (and counting).
- Family (Nurturing, raising offspring)
Elon reports that “Almost all of my nonwork waking hours are spent with my boys, and they are the love of my life.”
And he enthusiastically encourages having children as well.
It is also reported that Musk said, “My children didn’t choose to be born; I chose to have children. They owe me nothing; I owe them everything.” It’s an excellent quote, but unfortunately, I have been unable to track down the source, even if I found motivational posters for sale. If I find the original, I’ll update it with a link.
Family might be slightly more critical to Elon than Curiosity. They are both his desires, but the zeal he throws behind family and nurturing children makes me think family is his primary desire.
If you can figure out someone’s top three desires, you have a good idea of what motivates them. I am going to guess on this third one. It might be wrong, but I’m going for it anyway. I think Elon’s third desire is acceptance.
Why? Because he loves attention. As one of Twitter’s top users and now its owner, he seems to bask in attention, whether good or bad. It is still attention, after all. When you think of wealthy individuals, dancing for crowds and striking goofy poses is not the first thing that comes to mind. But you can’t stop Elon from getting attention.
So here are my guesses for the top three things that motivate Elon Musk, in order:
- Family (Nurturing, raising offspring)
- Curiosity (Explore, Analyze, Discuss)
- Acceptance (Attention, Approval, Inclusion)
Remember, the desires themselves are not good or bad. It is just who we are. Our desires form the base of our personality, and Steven Reiss’ research identified 16 things we can want. You might like someone because you want the same things, while someone you can’t understand or dislike might be motivated by something you do not care for.
Love him or hate him, Elon catches people’s attention, and maybe that attention motivates him.
Daniel N. Blair 