Cerebrate Weekly: The Five Degrees of Motivation
Humanities is often described as the study of human experience. In the context of modern psychology the fundamental components of the human experience involves: Human Cognition, Motivation & Behavior.
The noise, distractions, and information overload of modern life constantly stimulate us, making it difficult to control our thoughts and desires. This agitation detracts from the quality of our actions, behavior, and work.
In order to improve our actions and behaviors, we must first be aware of our thoughts and motivation.
One of the metacognitive framework that was developed by a medieval Islamic Scholar named Al-Alusi is Maraatib al-Qasd ( Degrees of Motivation), which helps us to understand how thoughts manifest into actions. These are in five stages & described as below :
- Al-Haajis: A thought that pops into your head and disappears just as quickly.
- Al-Khaatir: A thought that enters your mind and you decide to dwell on it.
- Hadith an-Nafs: An internal conversation where you really think over a thought.
- Al-Hamm: When a thought affects your motivation or emotional state and makes you want to act.
- Al-’Azm: A strong determination to carry out an action. Once you reach this point, there’s no turning back.
By being mindful of our thoughts and emotions, we can change our thought patterns for our benefit. In an unmindful state, we react to thoughts and emotions in a knee-jerk fashion, letting them guide us. In contrast, mindfulness allows us to choose whether to follow our thoughts or not.
💬Quote of the Week
🧭Weekly Compass
The Lost art of Contemplation : The Islamic tradition has much to offer the field of human psychology. This article by Yaqeen Institute focuses on cognitions & metacognitions, exploring their building blocks, processes & aims.
🧠Food for Thought
What are some thoughts that have been affecting your motivation lately? How can you work through them and reach a point of strong determination?
📖Read & Rise
Here are some recommended articles from our archives:
Your Attention Shapes Your Reality: The technological advancement that enabled social connectivity & ease of access to information came with a huge prize: mental distress. This newsletter issues discusses How does access to information and social connectivity cause mental derangement in the human psyche?
🛠️ Tools for Thought
Check out the app “Forest” to help you stay focused and avoid distractions while working or studying.