About Farouk RadwanWhen I asked my friends to tell me their opinion about the movie requiem for a dream some of them said that it was the most depressing movie they ever saw, after all the movie discusses shattered dreams and people who were never able to reach their goals.
What’s strange is that some people found the movie extremely motivating and even inspiring so the question is, how can a depressing movie motivate some people and depress others??
In order to understand this puzzling fact you have first to know some information about the psychology of motivation.
The psychology of emotions
When we watch a movie our subconscious identifies with the heroes and makes us believe that we are in their shoes.
Why do you think you become afraid when you watch a horror movie even though you are safe inside the cinema? It’s because your subconscious mind believes that you are facing the same dangers that the hero is facing and that’s why you become afraid.
Research has also shown that people’s facial expressions transfer their emotions to us and let us feel what they are feeling, that’s one strong reason you feel really bad when you see a poor homeless person in the street.
The person’s facial expressions transferred to you some of the misery he is feeling and that’s why you felt bad. Now back to the movie, when watching the heroes act their emotions are transferred to you and they became empathic with them.
The psychology of motivation
Up until now its clear why do we experience different emotions inside the theatre but still we didn’t answer the question, why do some people become motivated while others lose hope?
The concept that explains this well is called “Negative motivation” or “Away from motivation” which states that people can be motivated by wanting to avoid something that they dislike.
A man can exercise in order to look good while another one can exercise in order not to look bad. The second man is a clear example of negative motivation and how can It affect our behavior.
Now when some people saw the misery that happened to the people of the movie requiem for a dream they became motivated not to be like them and that’s why the movie inspired them.
Everything is now clear but why some people never became motivated?? Negative motivation only works when you have a clue about the action you should take in order to solve your problem.
If a parent scolded his child to study without giving him the books the child will become depressed while if they gave him the books he will become motivated to study from them.
In short, people who become motivated after being exposed to negative motivation are those who already know the actions they should take in order to solve their problems but for some reasons they weren’t motivated.
The conclusions
These findings lead to very important conclusions such as:
- Never criticize someone or try to motivate him using punishment before you make sure that he knows how to do the things that you are asking him to do
- Don’t underestimate the effect of the movies you watch or the music you listen to. Some people say you are what you eat but research has now proved that you are what you listen to (in addition to what you eat)
- If two people faced the same situation each one will experience different emotions based on his own belief system
Subscribe to CYT and
receive a FREE copy of
Volumes 1 & 2 of
The Best of CYT
Hi Farouk. I would like to welcome you to CYT and thank you for your post. I have to admit to not seeing the movie. However, I get what you are saying about the psychology of emotions and motivation and you have raised some excellent points. Thanks again Farouk, and I know the CYT readers will give you a warm welcome.
Farouk –
I haven’t seen this movie – but I have left films where my friends were divided in their opinions. You draw and interesting distinction about negative motivation. I guess that this concept comes from man’s basic instincts to seek pleasure and avoid suffering. Seeking a positive and pleasurable outcome (and by that I think of helping others, showing compassion, shining your own light more strongly) is a strong motivation and one with a great emotional pay-off. Avoiding pain can simply lead to no pain – which has less of a pay-off. Great article and conclusions – thank you.
Phil
.-= Phil – Less Ordinary Living´s last blog ..How to Keep Going =-.
Nice post Farouk. This is interesting but it’s totally right. People can get motivation from not wanting to feel a negative feeling. I like your example of a man wanting to exercise not because he wants to look good, but because he’s afraid of looking bad. Some people understand how to use punishment to motivate them, but others don’t like to use this strategy and it doesn’t work for them. Like you say, no two people who face the same situation will have the same emotions, because their beliefs will be different from each other.
.-= Hulbert´s last blog ..Sylvester Stallone and Hits =-.
That’s a great point on motivation Farouk, you made me think how often I am motivated by something negative as opposed to positive. hmmm, I can think of at least few situation lately when negative experience was the one that made me do something.
.-= Lana – Daring Clarity´s last blog ..One Of The Most Powerful Questions That Can Change Your Life =-.
Running on autopilot is the worst way to live. Movies such as Requiem for a Dream can bring out these underling programs and if we’re aware enough, we can see how they affect our lives. Both positive and/or negative.
I’ve seen Requiem many years ago. What came up for me was a feeling of gratitude for my life.
Cheers,
Rishi
.-= Self Improvement Explained´s last blog ..The Answer To Your Problems =-.
I haven’t seen the movie either, but the whole concept of negative emotions and how we perceives things differently seems to make sense and sounds interesting,…its like the story or saying different strokes for different folks, our response to motivation varies.
.-= Fatibony´s last blog ..Negative Thoughts Evacuation =-.
@ Steven
wish you a great day
many thanks dear for your comment
)
you are most welcomed, i am the one who should be thankful for getting my post accepted
@Phil
you just just summarized the two major motivation style, that’s absolutely correct
@Hulbert
thanks for your conclusions and comments Hulbert:)
@Lana
this makes a lot of sense, i have read that each person is generally motivated by one of the major motivation styles (of course all styles motivate all people but each person responds better to one of them) thanks for your comment
@ Rishi
yeah, you are right seeing all of these problems others are suffering from makes us feel grateful, thanks for your comment
Good movie to write about. It’s a movie that will bring emotion out of a viewer – because lives are literally stolen away by the lifestyle they were living. So I think it’s depressing initially, on the surface, and it’s also a bit scary. But, when you get to reflect on what happened to the kids in the movie – it can motivate you to really take life seriously and be more than you currently are. That’s kind of how I look at this movie.
Liked the post!
I think it’s true, that each of us filters our reality through our personal beliefs and experiences. That’s why two people can share the same experience, and have completely different perceptions and reactions. However, I’ve never thought about motivation as being negative or positive, and I think that’s fascinating! Definitely something to go away and consider a bit further. Thanks!
Topi
Farouk,
Thanks for the post.
I find that I am influenced by both negative motivation and positive motivation. However, I think it’s a bit more with positive motivation (maybe 75% positive motivation and 25% negative motivation).
Here is my favorite sentence of your post:
“Don’t underestimate the effect of the movies you watch or the music you listen to. ”
I completely agree with this. I actually just got through watching some music videos on YouTube since they always put me in a really good mood.
And movies are very motivating to me. Some examples are the Rocky movies, Hoosiers, Rudy, The Insider, The Fountainhead (movie version of the Ayn Rand book), and even Swingers. No matter what your situation, you can find a movie where a character overcomes the same obstacles that you are facing.
.-= Greg Blencoe´s last blog ..Is the glass half empty or half full? =-.
Nice post! The psychology of motivation is nice area, carrot or the stick as it’s normally called can play a big part in how people feel with certain tasks.
I’ve never seen that film but it seems like I should have a look and see how I feel after it – I’m quite a forward motivated optimist, so I will find it interesting.
.-= Craig Thomas´s last blog ..12 Ways To Unleash Your Creativity =-.
@Mike
yes that’s exactly what i meant by my words, being motivated to take life seriously because of not wanting to be like the people in the movie
thanks Mike
@Topi
thanks Topi, am happy with your comment
@ Greg
then you are a positively motivated person, its good that you know your motivation style
i like some of the movies you mentioned too, adding to it pursuit of happiness, this one can really give a powerful motivation charge for anyone to excel in his career/work
nice to meet you and thanks for your comment
@ Craig
thanks for your comment pal:) you might want to listen to the soundtrack on youtube too, its really nice
There are aspects to “Requiem for a Dream” that make it be a bit of a jolt to some people, like how it speeds up in some places as well as the tragic consequences near the end of the film. Some people can take the emotional blow as something cathartic and have a release from the movie while others may just find it disturbing and never want to watch the movie again.
I remember watching “28 Days Later” and having this quite strong reaction for the female characters in the movie at a couple of points that I haven’t had in any other movie in my life. There seemed to be a certain sense of dread at their fate that I just haven’t quite had the same reaction in any other movie and I’ve probably watched thousands of movies. The dread made me ticked that I couldn’t do anything to help them and in a way, I wonder why that situation seemed to trigger something for me that nothing else has quite done the same. Even though I’ve seen dozens of horror films, I suppose I don’t have the same connection there as I did watching “28 Days Later” would be one idea for a theory.
Hi Farouk,
I have not seen this particular movie but I can specifically remember a similar experience. For a period I was fascinated with sad country songs. Well, by and by I began realize these songs were depressing me. I could cite this specific nutriment that was causing me distress so I decided to remove it. We have to pay attention of the thought seeds we choose to nourish. Oddly enough, I became engrossed with the HBO series “Six Feet Under” and I found it quite inspiring! Know thyself.
Farouk, thank you, I, too, have not watched this movie (TV, newspapers and movies don’t have much of a place in my mountain life here in Japan). But I very much appreciate the points you raise, and your strongly expressed conclusions. We need to become much more aware of how much negative motivation, or fear, is used in modern society to manipulate our emotions. Many of us are motivated by negative emotions on an almost daily basis.
Advertisers are well aware of the power of targeting people’s fears in order to motivate consumer purchases. And news reporting cannot function at all without the constant element of fear and negativity. We are not only what we eat and hear (as you point out), we are also what we see and feel and think. We become the sum total of our personal sensory experiences. If those experiences are rooted in negative emotions and fear, this is how we perceive and live out our lives.
I would also like to add that while natural empathy is a very desirable skill (which not all of us have, by the way), being empathic does not mean you have to take on emotions which are not yours. You may be able to deeply know what another is feeling, and respond with compassion. But you need to also maintain your own boundaries so that those emotions from outside yourself are not taken inside you and claimed as your own. They are not your own. And it is important to be aware of this, and make the distinction.
Thank you, Farouk. If you have a moment, please step out of the darkness of the movie theatre to enjoy the energy vibrations of spring on my latest blog post from Japan – no negative emotions to motivate here today – Catrien Ross.
.-= Catrien Ross´s last blog ..Catrien Ross on Reviving Your Passion and Purpose in Spring Vibrations from Japan =-.
Farouk: Very interesting approach to the topic of different perceptions. I have always found it intriguing that people can literally experience the same event or situation and walk away with very different and distinct impressions. Perception really is reality. The question then becomes how healthy and positive are our personal perceptions since they will literally determine how we experience everything around us…even movies. Very interesting post.
.-= alternaview – Sibyl´s last blog ..How to Succeed By Becoming the Most Updated Version of Yourself =-.
Hi Farouk,
Requiem for a Dream was my favorite motivational movie a couple of years ago. You have raised great points about motivation in your article and I know that this “negative” motivation works great for me. When I watch movies like RFaD I can clearly see what I do not want my life to be and I think that knowing it gives clarity in life.
Thank you for sharing all the findings about motivation in this article and for reminding me about this great movie.
.-= Anastasiya´s last blog ..Is Vegetarianism a Part of a Balanced Diet? =-.
Hello Farouk! I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I totally understand what you’re trying to say here. Negative motivation sounds to me like “reframing” – a concept in Neuro Linguistic Programming and psychotherapy which is effective in it’s approach at changing a person’s perspective regarding a particular behavior, decision, situation, and so on.
Great post, btw! Thanks for sharing. =)
Ryhen
.-= Ryhen @ VS Mind Power´s last blog ..Cyber Power: How To Re-Create Yourself =-.
@ Jb
your conclusion is correct, there was some connection between your emotions at that time and between the actors and only you can determine this connection. compare your life at that time with the movie events and you will come up with the connection. thanks for your comment
@ Rob
yes rob you are right, psychological research has shown that music can have a dramatic impact on the mood either to the upside or the downside, glad you realized this earlier
@Catrien
That’s a real good conclusion catrien, we need to be more conscious while watching TV and media so that they don’t use our fears against us. i will surley visit your blog and tell you my opinion, nice to meet you:)
@ Sibyl
Thanks a lot dear, this is also the same reason i tell people that they are the only one who can decode the symbols of their dreams, if i saw a dog in a dream this might mean that its a symbol for a friend but for a person who fears dogs this might be a symbol of danger
@ Anastasiya
you are most welcomed dear and i am happy to meet you, thanks for your gentle words:)
@ Ryhen
you are most welcomed dear, yes i have heard of refarmming, its clear now that everyone puts his own frame around events and sees them differently, many thanks dear:)
I’m not so sure this movie is motivating. The setting is gloomy, the characters look depressing, and the story is tragic.
Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the movie, the performances of Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans are all outstanding. One of the best Connelly performance, better than Beautiful minds.
.-= Jon´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at =-.
Hey Jon,
you didn’t say anything wrong, some people find it motivating while others find it depressing, my main aim when i mentioned it was to explain the concept of negative motivation, its pretty clear that you are motivated by positive things more than negative ones
thanks for your comment