Pleasure and pain in learning, motivation and productivity

Today’s blog post is about a very old theory – as old as Freud, in fact! Can psychoanalysis really help learners?

1. Pleasure and pain principle

Freud May have had much darker things in mind when he wrote about this rule back in 1911. His take on these simple rules was focused on the “id”, an animal-like aspect of human behaviour. Freud’s interpretation was not complicated: at the most basic level, he said, humans will always go towards more pleasure – and away from any pain.

That’s the gist of it! Of course, things are rarely that simple nowadays. But these rules still apply sometimes, and recently I started thinking about them again.

2. Freud and motivation, part 1: pleasure-and-pain lists

I’m working on several projects now, and things are pretty busy everywhere I look. There is a lot to learn, a lot to manage, and at the same time, work and home still need to be taken care of. So there is a lot of temptation to procrastinate, or just to give up and do the bare minimum.

The other day, while gazing on the remains of my treat that I just indulged in, I thought: there is no denying it, Dude. You are driven by pleasure and pain just as much as by complex brainy motivational ideas. So why not work with it?

I then proceeded to make two lists. The first was the pleasure list: it was full of the nice things that will happen once I start, or complete, my project. The second one was the pain list. It contained stuff that will hurt, or feel uncomfortable, or depressing, if I keep avoiding the tasks I had in mind.

3. Freud and motivation, part 2: anchoring pleasure and pain

The idea here – once you made the lists – is to make the pleasant and painful bits present in your life, as small and regular reminders. This could work in a number of ways. Here is a few things I’m trying out now:

• there is a widget on my phone screen, showing me the countdown (in days) to Brexit. It’s a painful reminder to get to work and protect what I love before that date.

• my Instagram feed is full of photos from Scotland, and full of triathlon stories. It’s a reminder of how awesome it feels to travel, and how good it is to be part of a sport community.

• my to-do list and my word processor is linked to Beeminder. If I stop writing or getting things done, I start paying! It’s doubly painful: the money is leaving my account and it’s reminding me that my financial independence is moving away from me when I stand still.

4. What can you use the pleasure and pain principle for?

Game designers, website developers, and food companies know all about the pain / pleasure dilemma. You should get on board as well.

The trick can work for learning, revision, productivity, life changes…anything you wish.

Start by making the pain / pleasure lists. Make both lists full of real, intense elements – don’t hold back unless it really feels too traumatic or naughty!

Then, find ways of reminding yourself of the pain and pleasure at regular, small intervals. The goal is to get a small nudge in the right direction instead of a big trauma / joy outburst once in a blue moon.

What will you use it for?

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash