Principlev1
Sustained motivation requires self-transcendent purpose —
Sustained motivation requires self-transcendent purpose — goals oriented toward contributing beyond the self — because purely self-interested purposes exhaust when cost-benefit calculation tilts negative, while outward-directed purposes provide motivational fuel independent of personal payoff.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Purpose requires self-transcendence — orientation toward (purpose requires self-transcendence) and Directed Attention as Depletable Resource (cognitive resources deplete). The principle explains why contribution-oriented purposes sustain better than self-oriented ones: they bypass the depletion cycle that comes from constant self-interest calculation. Actionable: when designing purposes, orient them toward external contribution.