{"id":7686,"date":"2017-07-18T08:47:55","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T12:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=7686"},"modified":"2017-07-18T08:47:55","modified_gmt":"2017-07-18T12:47:55","slug":"motive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=7686","title":{"rendered":"motive"},"content":{"rendered":"

mo\u00b7tive<\/strong>
\n\u02c8m\u014ddiv\/
\nnoun<\/em>
\n1. a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious.<\/p>\n

_____<\/p>\n

No doubt the Intramuralist is fascinated with much \u2014 from the big to the small, serious to silly. I am fascinated with much. For example \u2026 how the media has morphed into a generous giver of editorials as opposed to an unbiased sharer of news\u2026 how even the intelligent seem to utilize extensive hyperbole and exaggerated rhetoric\u2026 and how my very friendly dog continues to ferociously bark at any under the grand height of three feet tall\u2026 (watch out, Yogi\u2026).<\/em><\/p>\n

But one aspect that fascinates me time and time again \u2014 recognizing that fascination is not necessarily good or bad \u2014 \u00a0 is the all too frequent assumption of motive.<\/p>\n

We assume we know why someone does what they do or says what they say. We assume we know the why. In other words: we assume we know \u2014 and… we know with certainty the motive of another.<\/p>\n

Excuse me, but may I be so bold to repeat the above definition?<\/p>\n

A \u201cmotive\u201d is a reason for doing something, especially, one that is hidden<\/strong> or not<\/em> obvious.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hence, if it\u2019s hidden, that means we \u2014 you, me, Yogi, etc. \u2014 can\u2019t actually see it. And if we can’t see it, we can’t confirm it to be true.<\/p>\n

What is true is that sometimes we can make an educated guess. But educated as it is, a guess remains still at its root, only a guess; it will never qualify as fact. Because a person\u2019s motive is hidden, we cannot confirm a guess as fact without the other’s verification.<\/p>\n

Oh, yes, I\u2019ve heard the convenient, clever logic, posing a thoroughly thought through motive for another and then attempting to reinforce our, uh, guess<\/strong> with the logically porous,\u00a0\u201cwell, what else could it possibly be?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It could be lots.<\/em><\/p>\n

In fact, it could be something that we don\u2019t know or are incapable of knowing.<\/p>\n

On last week\u2019s edition of \u201cThe Rubin Report,\u201d a YouTube political commentary created by Dave Rubin, the self-identified classical liberal interviewed author Andrew Klavan, who shared that he\u2019ll often opine about the current President, assessing what he feels \u00a0the President has done either right or wrong; he sees some of both.<\/p>\n

Klavan and Rubin then discuss the many who can see only<\/em> right or only<\/em> wrong. And then they address the assumptions we make about the motives of others \u2014 supporters, detractors, or none of the above. Here\u2019s the part of their conversation that yes, fascinated me [emphasis is mine]:<\/em><\/p>\n

KLAVAN: \u201c\u2026 People think that if they disagree with you, their reasons are rational and your reasons are personal<\/strong> \u2014 that’s what they think\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

RUBIN: \u201c\u2026 that concept of impugning your intellectual opponent’s motives<\/strong> is such a sad thing that has seeped into everything.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes.\u00a0We tend to think there is only one right perspective.<\/p>\n

We tend to think we can accurately identify the motives of another.
\nAnd when we find others who don\u2019t hold our same perspective, we are often tempted to impugn their motives.<\/p>\n

We then also tend to forget that motives are hidden and not obvious.<\/p>\n

That, my friends, is, well, fascinating.<\/p>\n

Respectfully\u2026
\nAR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

mo\u00b7tive \u02c8m\u014ddiv\/ noun 1. a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious. _____ No doubt the Intramuralist is fascinated with much \u2014 from the big to the small, serious to silly. I am fascinated with much. For example \u2026 how the media has morphed into a generous giver of editorials … <\/p>\n

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