DerpSandwich said:
I'm trying to say that there are other motivators than "you'll either get a reward or you'll be punished." We're not dogs looking for treats. That's shallow thinking. |
No, that's logical thinking. When a mentally sane man is faced with two options he will choose whichever seems to be the overall most beneficial option. With the definition of "benefit" obviously being determined by previous experiences/our memories, human nature and instinct, subconscious thoughts and feelings and our ability to reason. (Not sure if that's what it's called in English, but it's the best I've got.)
Even if your intention with helping an old lady across the street is not to avoid hell or enter heaven, fact remains that there are reasons for you to do so. Not helping her may result in you not losing time and energy, but you also know that helping her will make you feel good due to being more or less sympathetic, while not helping her may result in guilt (punishment) and a wasted opportunity for you to feel good about yourself. Possibly through a reward as simple as a "Thank you." from her. Then of course there are a lot of other factors such as whether you are having a shitty day or not which may skew your reasoning, but fact remains that you will consider both options and select what seems to be the most beneficial at the time.
We, like dogs, are constantly driven by motivators. The difference is that our needs and reasoning capabilities are far more complex.
