Beyond external rewards and social pressures, internal motivations—finding activity meaningful, doing what is right—operate in Indian contexts. Intrinsic interest—enjoying the work itself, finding satisfaction in the doing—creates effort without requiring external reward. Meaningful work—contributing to something important, making a difference—motivates beyond compensation. Dharmic motivation—acting because it is right given one’s role and circumstances—creates motivation through moral propriety.
The ideal of nishkama karma—action without attachment to fruits—represents aspiration toward motivation purified of reward-seeking. While rarely fully achieved, this ideal influences how Indians think about motivation quality: acting from duty or rightness rather than from desire for reward is spiritually superior. These internal motivations create self-sustaining effort that does not require constant external reinforcement. When conditions allow, enable these motivations: provide meaningful work, connect action to worthy purposes, allow people to act rightly within their roles.
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