Ask HN: What motivates you? - muzani
======
cattlefarmer
When I was in my teens, twenties and early thirties, I very seriously yearned
for world domination. Probably because I grew up low-middle class and was
always the small kid being picked on. I didn't work too hard at it because at
my core, I'm a lazy person. Still, I put in enough effort to become the big
fish in my various little ponds.

I only realised how insignificant I really was when several years ago, I
stumbled upon Quora and the various 'How do I join Google' questions, and even
more when discovered HN and what proper software development really is like.

HN has given me a huge imposter syndrome while at the same time given me the
resources to really educate myself and learn more about making things flash on
a monitor.

Nowadays, I do it simply because I enjoy it.

------
swatcoder
I've tried chasing big goals and I've tried avoiding everything through
escapism. Turns out that it doesn't matter much what I try, I eventually just
do what I do. Thankfully, the trend line is positive.

Once I figured that out and learned to trust it, I stopped thinking in terms
of big conscious motivations and instead just started looking at the
unconscious roadblocks that were in front of me. If something was getting in
the way of where I seemed to be going, or if I noticed myself charting weird
paths around some thing in avoidance, I'd start looking closer at why and
gradually free myself of the hinderance.

There are plenty more such blocks for me to find and work through, but this
method feels more balanced and more effective than any motivation-centered
paradigm ever seemed to.

------
SubMachineGhost
My insecurities.

Due to some life circumstances, i grew up feeling that i am not deserving of
being where i am at and that at i am the worst person in any given room.

I came to embrace these feelings because they motivate me to keep improving my
life on a daily basis.

------
Random_Person
Usually self-preservation. Often, the software projects I work on are things
that simplify my life and it just so happens that other people want to use
them too.

I enjoy eating, having a home, feeding my children, and playing games. So, I
do what I have to do to keep that going. Everything else requires effort for
me to even start and once I'm going, even more effort to maintain.

------
anotheryou
Curiosity, awe, love. My job however I see as hindering in most of that
(Project/Product Management non-bullshit¹ job offers welcome).

I love to learn, I like science, to analyze and to attempt to shape our
information environment. This act of discovery is also great on a personal
level, but that was a stronger factor when I was younger. Well and I love
people (though I have sympathy for many, that doesn't mean I'm not selective
on whom to spend my time with). Some hedonistic sprinkles on top are also
welcome (music, travel, good food, a beer).

If I could I would divide my time between exactly those things: 1/3 learning,
1/3 building, 1/3 people and all at a nice place with good food.

¹ [http://strikemag.org/bullshit-jobs/](http://strikemag.org/bullshit-jobs/)

------
JSeymourATL
Dan Pink struck a cord on the subject of primary motivators - autonomy,
mastery, and purpose. >
[https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en](https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en)

------
reducesuffering
Minimizing the net suffering in the world through effective altruism.

~~~
jxub
Well, the most effective way to do it is just anesthetized annihilation of all
humanity.

Probably we should flip the mental script and say that this definition of
minimisation of suffering has effective altruism as a local minima, and
painless and unconscious death as a global minima, because it eliminates all
suffering immediately and thus would be the perfect solution.

Death is considered almost univocally bad, so perhaps this definition of doing
good should also take some type of maximization of subjective happiness into
account.

~~~
reducesuffering
It's a good point. The preference is on minimizing suffering rather than
increasing the happiness of those who are already well off. I'm curious how
you'd put that philosophy into a succinct phrase then.

------
MilnerRoute
Sometimes the thought of doing today's work really well is genuinely exciting
to me.

And if not that, I feel a certain sense of "honor", for lack of a better word,
in meeting my commitments and doing what I said I'd do.

~~~
muzani
Surprising, but out of the rest, this is probably what resonates with me the
most. I just really like the idea of doing what I said I'd do. Or just making
a new set of commitments each day and sticking to that.

------
phakding
1\. I want to do certain things/buy things (travel places, climb mountains.
buy/build small plane)

2\. need x amount of money/y amount of vacation time

3\. target next company

4\. requires certain technologies

5\. study/practice

6\. interview

7\. success / Failure (go back to step 5)

------
anoncoward111
The hunger in my stomach and the desire to not sleep on the streets.

------
JakeMIles12
Macro Level: The well being of my daughter Micro (Daily) Level: Been using
Motivate App and it's been really helping in the mornings.

------
bsvalley
death (we're going to die at some point, let's make the best use of our time).

------
cm2012
My wife in general + having other people be impressed with me.

------
drakonka
Learning and the goal of feeling competent.

------
marketgod
Money.

Every day I want to earn more than the day before.

------
askafriend
Bringing some order to chaos.

------
billconan
Curiosity motivates me

------
gcb0
fake internet points

------
jklein11
$

------
m1573rp34130dy
Eureka...

