If there is any man who has successfully fought adversary all through his life, not only from fate but also from his own countrymen, it has to be Dr. B.R. Ambedkar - the main creator of the Constitution of the largest democracy in the world - India. What makes his life so inspiring for people who find themselves in impossible situations is the fact that Dr. Ambedkar was born in a family that was one of the millions of families in India (and still is) that was treated apathetically, and sometimes even inhumanly, by the so-called higher castes. The way he managed to get himself educated and the manner in which he fought against all the obstacles while rising to the most prestigious position in the country is remarkable.
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Dr. Ambedkar, or Bhim as he was called by his mother, first suffered due to the prejudice of casteism in India when he first went to school. In India, Hindus have built a ridiculous caste system where the lowermost classes are called 'untouchables' and they are treated just as the name suggests. The 'untouchables' were, and in fact still are, not allowed to stay in the village but on the outskirts. They are not allowed to drink water from the same well and they were not even allowed to worship in the same temple. Bhim was born in such a caste.
As he grew up, Bhim started observing how he and his family were treated by the other members of the society. There was this incident in his InspireYourself school which is said to have really motivated him. On one of his initial days in school, he was ordered to stand in a far off corner of the room, away from the upper caste students. This is how he spent his days in school and he still managed to be the most brilliant student in his class. However, being from the lower caste, he wasn't appreciated at all by his teachers. This didn't stop him from keeping on shining in his studies.
Bhim had to face many more obstacles as a student in his teenage years as well. When he wanted to learn Sanskrit, the language of the ancient Indian holy scriptures, he was denied the permission to do so for he was from the lower castes. However, he still managed to learn Sanskrit on his own later in life. He had to face countless insults from his fellow students and his teachers. Inspite of all the adversaries, he passed the matriculation examination and was the first from his community to do so. Further, he wanted to go abroad for higher studies but didn't have enough money to do so. The Maharaja of Baroda came to the rescue with a scholarship for exceptional students and Bhim qualified for that very strongly.
He went to California University where he studied Economics and Sociology. The freedom and equality that he experienced in America had a profound impact on him. He had never experienced so much freedom and so much respite from the caste prejudices of his own country. After a lot of ups and downs he finally completed his education, but his educational qualifications didn't mean anything to his own countrymen who still saw his caste first and not the man.
He lead many protests, mainly peaceful, and through great perseverance made his way up to being the father of the Indian Constitution. He had to face much pain, suffering and insult on the way but his sheer mental strength and his resolve to fight injustice provided him with all the power in the world to keep on fighting till the end. He died being an inseparable part of the great personalities who have shaped modern India.
Motivation can be defined in numerous ways, but there are two basic definitions or descriptions. It can be defined as the main reason or reasons that individuals partake in a certain behavior, specifically human behavior pursuant to the study of psychology or neuropsychology. It can also be defined as the driving force that initiates and drives an individual's behavior. It is the internal energy that propels us to achieve our goals. Typically, it is considered to be a dynamic state of mind not concerned with personality.
There are three aspects of human behavior that motivation is based and founded in:
1. arousal of behavior
2. direction of behavior
3. persistence of behavior
Arousal of behavior relates to a specific thing that activates behavior whereas direction of behavior relates to what is responsible for directing the behavior. Persistence of behavior relates to how the behavior is sustained.
What drives an individual to be successful is referred to as motive. Usually, all motives fall into one of three categories and are considered to be physiological or psychological in nature:
1. homeostatic motives - hunger, respiration, thirst, etc.
2. nonhomeostatic motives - curiosity about the environment, seeking shelter, etc.
3. learned or social motives - achievement, approval, power, social affiliation, etc
In any endeavor that an individual undertakes, motivation (or the lack thereof) is the key element behind the success or failure of the endeavor. It plays a key role in the workplace where the effective performance of an employee is concerned. Management or supervisory personnel have a direct impact and play a significant role in employee motivation in that they employ different motivational techniques to raise productivity levels. It also follows that this has a direct effect on the cooperation levels between the employer and the employee.
Motivation can also be classified as
1. negative or positive
2. obvious or subtle
3. intangible or tangible
Education or learning is also interrelated with motivation and instructors will oftentimes employ motivational techniques to get their students to learn. It can benefit the student by making them more competent as well as encouraging confidence and the ability to solve problems.
Self-motivation has also been classified into two different types:
1. Extrinsic - generated by external factors
2. Intrinsic - generated by internal sensations and is longer-lasting than extrinsic
Self-motivation is considered to be intrinsic in nature, and originates from an individual's internal drives. It is the basis for overcoming obstacles in the path of achieving one's goals. Additionally, certain external factors are responsible for driving a person into undertaking a new project or to move in a positive direction. Characteristically, self-motivation is comprised of three factors:
1. beliefs
2. desires
3. values
Since an individual cannot rely on others for motivation, self-motivation has to come from within. It plays a key role wherein the individual gathers the courage and strength to achieve certain goals, and is essential for developing new undertakings or making a positive change in one's lifestyle. Training programs have been proven to be the best way to educate oneself in order to improve motivation and self-motivation.