Probably few organizations value self-motivation like the U.S. Marine Corps, so when their recruits began showing deficiencies, officers dug into the latest psychologist research. Here’s what they found…
Duhigg’s latest book is “Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business” (http://goo.gl/gNhDR6).
Read more at BigThink.com: http://bigthink.com/videos/charles-duhigg-on-self-motivation-and-subversive-instinct
Follow Big Think here:
YouTube: http://goo.gl/CPTsV5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigThinkdotcom
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigthink
Transcript – One of the things we know about motivation is that we’re able to trigger those parts of our neurology that are related to motivating us when we feel in control. And very frequently this comes from making a choice: something that allows us to assert ourselves into a situation. One of the most fascinating examples of this is how the Marine Corps revamped basic training. So about 15 years ago the Marine Corps found it was having this problem: they were getting a bunch of recruits that were coming in who were completely unpracticed at self-motivation. They essentially had never learned the skills of this. Now for the Marine Corps this is a real problem because the Marines are kind of different from other branches of the military. They’re usually the first in and the last to leave. And so what they need is they need real self-starters, people who know how to take the initiative, but the recruits that are coming through the door at boot camp were just completely unpracticed at this. Charles Krulak, who is the head of the Marine Corps, told me that a lot of these recruits had never been on sports teams, they had never learned how to assert themselves, they had never practiced self-motivation. So Krulak looked at the literature and he found that there were a bunch of studies that said the most effective Marines are ones who have learned an internal locus of control. We all have an internal or external locus of control and what that means is it’s how we see the world whether we believe that we have the ability to assert ourselves and control our destinies or whether we believe that the things that happen around us determine whether we’re successful or not. Krulak wanted to teach his recruits how to have an internal locus of control, what in the Marines they call a bias towards action, and so he redesigned root boot camp completely. Now when recruits enter boot camp, instead of learning discipline and learning how to follow orders, which is how most of us think about it (that’s the cliché), instead they’re trained on making decision after decision after decision: taking control and serving themselves in ways that maybe they didn’t even expect they would need to. At the end of boot camp is this thing called the crucible. It’s a 56 hour obstacle course that every recruit has to complete in order to become a Marine. And during the crucible what’s really interesting is some of the obstacles can only be completed if you kind of disobey the orders you’re hearing. One of my favorites is this thing called Sergeant Timmerman’s Tank where you have to use these ropes and logs to move across this big sand pit.
Read Full Transcript Here: http://goo.gl/ASPGYf.
Do marines regularly disobey their commanders orders?
Or is that only in training?
I think they have to do what they are told or they get in trouble.
Yea no this video is straight bullshit lol
The reason this works is because the brain releases dopamine in response to novel experiences, in order to make you curious enough to explore the source of the novel feelings in hopes of achieving some possible reward, because curiosity is evolutionarily advantageous. i.e. "Risk for reward."
When your being told what to do you lack choices, when you have choices there exists curiosity to explore the possibilities that would result from your choices. When you know what's going to happen already there's no need to be curious, thus no motivation. Your possible choices have novel-value associated with them, and this stimulates your reward system to motivate you to explore what could result.
So basically, if you have a distorted view of reality you'll have an easier time motivating yourself. I'll pass on that one.
Because it works for the Israelis
Speaking as a social psychologist, this is very sound social psychology. These principles are good from everyone, not just the military. Feeling in control of one's life is associated with many psychological benefits, no matter who you are.
I was like this before elementary school beat it out of me.
It took me 17 years to recover.
I asserted myself, didn't listen to the endless fear rhetoric, looked up the facts myself, and after 2 years I left the Marine Corps. Because the military is a branch of the military industrial complex which Eisenhower warned U.S. Citizens about in 1961. Enlightening video tho for sure, if you don't like my post. I dont give a f*ck, my life is none of your business except the small pieces i choose to share. Long story short, your governement is exploiting you for profit. Promoting joining the armed forces for resume, looks, bonus's, college benefits is a fascist marketing tool which has nothing to do with protecting the country or our freedoms. oppressing others around the globe will never ensure our freedoms here at home. only a vigilant citizenry, informed and non biased can achieve the great duty of preserving our liberties. War is a racket, it will never get us anywhere.
ive noticed this while motivating myself to train.
You do not make your own decisions. Choices are motivated by the physical world around you. You do not have free will. You do not control your own destiny. Read a book. Learn science.
First in last out lol surrrre
The question becomes, is the directive to break rules a rule on itself? If it is, them you are always breaking and obeying some rule. If you follow a rule you are disobeying the rule not to obey rules, if you disobey a rule you are obeying the rule to disobey rules. At this point you become the schorodinger's cat of lawfullness.
protip: people are different. there is never one rule that works for all.
Big Think – I know nothing about your website except this vid; but that has enrolled me into subscribing all by itself.
THANX for conveying these, in my 63-year experience of life, very accurate truisms, in a way other than the usual dreary alpha-male, hypercompetitive, ego-polluted one that only alienates many men (and women) who might otherwise give a listen.
Context is important. Today the U.S. Marines are being used largely as part of an occupational force and not for anything resembling the real security and defense needs of the people of the United States. Think Before You Enlist
Aggressive or assertive? Deviant or different? Subversive or self determined? The words you use have small differences in connotation. Do you want rebellion or individuals? The core wants people who can think as a group even if they can not directly communicate. That is not the same as subversive behavior. You heart is in the right place it seems, but I don't know if that word means what you think it means.
I think I will make a green smoothie then go to the gym
Look at the qualifications . If some could pass the paper work , that's probably the opposite of what you want for a warrior !
As a former US Marine, my honest assessment is that this is a big load of horseshite!Its obvious this guy never went through USMC MCRD, nor has ever done an enlistment. by using tired clichés like "the first in" its also obvious he was coerced to say military propaganda in order to get the Marines co operation for his armchair psychology.All this corporate doublespeak may sound good to make this guy money as a "motivational guru"- but the bottom line is that all the USMC wants is CONFORMITY AND OBEDIENCE. I've seen enlisted take the initiative and get punished for it. THEY OWN YOU-and don't want you thinking for yourself!
Pretending to follow orders in order to "disobey" is a horrible lecture, and provding it in an indirect mind washing way is making it worst. To lie is bad, as bad as killing indeed. Teaching that you have to lie in order to do what you think is right, is teaching to keep your idea of right to yourself, and not to use it to try to subvert the whole system, but just to use it to optimize little things around you. That's bad, and is not being subversive, is being false.
Self motivation do not come from being false, on the opposite, you have to be true to yourself and to your ideals and be sincere and open about them.
You are sort of telling that to be in control we need to be false and sneaky.
Just cheat to get ahead in life. Got it
If you want to be in control of your life, don't join the military. =P
So this is why I started drinking and fucking . I think I learn this from an Abby Hoffman book .
I'm a great piano player but suck at key board.
Libertarian socialists are right ;)
Love it!
The Marine example didn't seem to be subversive to me. Saying "only move when you get the command" then put them in a situation where they cannot get that command, but need to move to succeed, seems to me to simply be instilling some wisdom into the recruits. It seems to simply be forcing them to acknowledge that life is uncertain and you simply have to act, sometimes. This seems to accomplish the original goal of self motivation, but I don't think it lives up to the word "subversive" or even the title of this vid "disobey". Seeing that it's time to move..hearing your Platoon leader yelling "something", seeing other members of your platoon beginning to move, is all more then enough info to follow the order. This is only disobeying in the most uncompromisingly, analytical, textbook sense.
It's funny how I became sailor of the year considered for SO and officer programs most rapidly promoted through diligent effort and considered a marine by devil dogs (rare). An yet out performing above averages of rest of the command. I make one choice that is entirely legal but contradict a retarded UCMJ article that does not effect entire morale just my own which actually motivated me more as a leader. But oh well no surprise I got crucified and left out to dry by the so called command the week before championed me and gave a gcd medal and being g promoted again while getting kicked out. Top class while Top ass. Saving millions for my command literally. Only to get cold shouldered for covering for my men while fixing it after a party got outta hand. What an NCO is supposed to do. Well it's like the saying goes you make your bed now sleep in it. Would have been nice to have new sheets like this though (analogy).
didn't a lot of other countries stereotype the US military for being sort of "don't think and follow orders" type?? I'm glad to see this breaking that