Un-sabotage yourself with intrinsic motivation | Johann Hari

From marketing to social media, today’s world preys on your values. Here’s how to reclaim them and find true happiness.

Johann Hari received the most poignant wake-up call of his life at his local fast-food joint. It was Christmas Eve 2009, and to his horror, the staff had written him a huge Christmas card, declaring Hari their “best customer.”

It wasn’t just the realization that junk food had taken over his life that startled Hari. It was the grim reality that vast swathes of humanity are ruled by desires that only serve to make us unhappy, unhealthy, and unfulfilled. Yet we listen to those desires again and again, driving ourselves into chronic states of depression and anxiety.

Many of these damaging desires are what Hari calls ‘extrinsic values’ — motivations driven by external factors such as societal expectations, and accelerated by advertising and social media. But we can combat extrinsic values by developing our own intrinsic values: motivations that stem from genuine joy and passion. By challenging and dismantling these "junk values," we can rediscover what truly matters and alleviate the mental anguish they cause.

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[jake-ipvg]

The worse you feel, the more you look outwards for joy, and the more you buy

[elizabethvolk]

This is brilliant. As a physician the intrinsic value of my relationship with patients has been crushed by the extrinsic value imposed by the corporation which owns the practice now. Death by a thousand small cuts- and physician burnout results. Both patients and physicians unhappy but corporations, insurance and pharmaceutical companies making huge profits. I am sure similar in other professions and industries in general. Humans cannot live on capitalism alone.

[michaelsathorar]

An ad just spreading some kind of reaffirming positivity with zero agenda would probably help alot of people

[Agix.]

I think I'd like a long form video over this interview, I personally find the topic interesting and that Mr Johann is an entertaining speaker.

[googlymoogly]

You just know that Johann Hari is a good bloke.

[GajanaNigade]

1:43
Casually pointing back with his thumb to uni. Love it.

[ashafenn]

You are explaining in part why i am so full of love and typically joyous inside my art and writing despite a staggering lack of financial reward and tit-curdling pain 24/7. Thank you for this, i thought i might be just spectacularly lucky in my precise insanity.

[shivamparashar]

Love how he got increasingly more visibly excited as he continued talking.

[priyadharshinis]

This is an awesome message. I kinda little afraid where we are heading to. Good to know there are people who values Values over Flashy stuffs.

[LeanAndMean]

Nice that you had him on. He’s very enthusiastic.

[abhikpaul]

Sometimes you got no choice other than doing the things not because of intrinsic motivation because rent is due and your life depends on it. Happy for all the privileged one. Also grateful for this life. God bless everyone

[mojeprice]

as a person with aspergers, I struggle with extrinsic value. its a common problem for aspies from what i read and hear - we have immense trouble perceiving and pursuing extrinsic value. which means we attain happiness possibbly easier but success much harder. even when we go for things like position or award, we do it because we think it will make achieving intrinsic goals easier.

[l.]

I'm in my 60s now, but over the years, I've learned to walk away when my values did not jive with my environment. Despite being condemned as a 'quitter', I have left an abusive marriage which meant leaving a big impressive house to live in a tiny 1 bedroom condo. I left toxic workplaces who wanted more and more done in less and less time. I find while living alone, other people have very little influence over me. I live on my own terms.

[GhANeC]

I cannot be the only one who couldn’t help himself from laughing at his story. No mockery involved. It’s just one of those life-imitates-cinemart moments.

[dearservice]

I really agree with this and it's something I've noticed in my own life more and more to the point now where I'm really searching for intrinsic motivation. I'm 26 - I noticed I was going backpacking not to experience a new place or culture, but rather to take a photograph of the place for my instagram. Of course it was great to see a new place but honestly that was a big driver. I was self aware of this phenomenon at the time so less prone than others my age perhaps but still a constant desire and a feeling of anxiety if I was unable to capture a place with my smart phone to "exhibit it". I've had instagram deleted for a few years now and somewhat unbelievably I'm still feeling the echoes of that thought loop when considering travelling again, "why go if I can't post it? I wish I had my insta back then I could add this place to the photo collection." And I sure as hell am not the only one who thinks like this. Our culture is insidious. I'm doing some work right now trying to cleanse and find motivation from a healthy place.

[jonathan]

I agree with and appreciate his point. However, the cast majority of jobs do not offer work with tasks that are intrinsically motivating and it's hard to see this as a practical option as a result.

[MicahScottPnD]

Excellent video, thanks, Well!!

A few thoughts:
1) I love the categorizing of intrinsic and extrinsic.
2) In my opinion, humanity itself is experiencing a growth spurt. Growth spurts are often uncomfortable and awkward. When you know your in one, you can deal with it better.
3) Myself, i distinguish between moods and modes. It seems obvious to me that both produce different chemicals in the body. (Like pheromones, for instance.)

[christopherwall]

Looking outward rather than the swirl of thoughts constantly looking inward is a big help...

[GhANeC]

Im not sure i’m forced to spend most of my daily time around a job about mostly making other people happy because i give a rat about buying or consuming anything but rather because i have an ever rising cost of life to pay for myself and mine.

[venust.]

I like listening to Johann Hari. He is always very passionate because he knows it all firsthand.