Angst, WILLPOWER, call it what you wish, but WHERE does this come from?

Via ONLY personal experience... this could definately be genetic. But it's quite the quality if you ask me. The willpower to change, or to learn, to grow, to be brave...

I can already immagine some people saying "It comes from within."
But what does THAT mean?
Why are some people compelled to repeat the same stupid mistakes over and over again... and others do nothing but push themselves to accomplish more?

Is this psychological? Is it a chemical in the brain? Parenting, diet,... dopamine?

Will I be able to take a pill in the future and suddenly realize that I CAN?

Sounds kind of empty to me.


Thoughts?

Let's start with the simple drives. When we were teenagers we were driven from within by hormones (and from without by peer pressure etc) Certainly it is the smallest of minorities of us who did not feel the pull of sexual attraction in those years (which is not to minimize the same feelings and drives of those of us past those years).

What of the drive to eat? This too is clearly from within, and clearly physiological in nature.

Most of our drives fall into these categories. What then of the other drives? These will have different explanations, though many of these will fall into the previous categories as well. For instance often bravery can simply be the drive to stay alive combined with the impression or belief that this action is the only possible action which will result in staying alive (or protecting those for whom we care, etc. )

Similarly the drive for possessions or wealth is often nothing more than the outward manifestation of the feat of hunger or need.

Rare are the drives which are purely ideological. Even the laudable drive for liberty in some is a response to the fear of the state, or the fear of deprivation. For others it is simply a recognition of the righteousness of justice, thus liberty.

There is no single simple answer. Even when talking to those of like minds I find that we come from many different paths with many different motivations, and in some cases even different objectives.

Perhaps that is a starting point to clarify exactly what point you wish to focus upon?

Yeah. I was speaking more specifically of the drive to achieve. (My own personal questioning of why I have none, and how to get some)

Of course it could be tied to the drive to eat, but I think only to a point. You have to at least achieve securing the food, achieving sexual relationships... ect.

Yet (and I see this with many other people) once all of the basic necessities are achieved, there seems to be much less or no more drive left to do more. (Having and raising children aside) Some people however just have a need for more. Maybe I'm seeing a blurred line between drive and greed...