Three Things That Drive Almost Everything We Do
Have you ever wondered what drives us to do the things we do?
Why do we invent things? Why do we keep looking for better ways to live? Why do we spend money on things we don’t necessarily need but still want to experience?
I recently came across an interesting thought. Perhaps almost everything we do in life is driven by three basic things:
Solution, Convenience and Experience.
I started looking at everyday life through these three ideas, and the more I thought about them, the more sense they made.
1. Solution — Finding an answer to a problem
As life moves forward, we come across certain difficulties. We call them problems, and naturally, we look for ways to overcome them.
If a particular job requires more people, we hire them. If communication over long distances is difficult, we develop better ways to communicate. If something takes too much time, we try to find a way to complete it faster.
That’s how many things around us came into existence. We identify a problem, think about how to overcome it, and build something that solves it.
The problems may change, but the need for solutions never disappears.
2. Convenience — Making things easier
Sometimes, we aren’t necessarily facing a problem. We simply want to make our lives easier.
We can cook our own food, but sometimes we prefer having it delivered. We can travel using different modes of transport, but we choose the one that saves us time and effort.
Think about travelling from one country to another. We could imagine different ways of making that journey, but air travel makes it possible to cover enormous distances in a relatively short time.
Convenience is about reducing effort, saving time and making things more comfortable.
And interestingly, once we get used to a certain level of convenience, we start expecting even more.
3. Experience — Enjoying what life has to offer
Not everything we do is about solving a problem or making something easier.
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Sometimes, we simply want to experience something.
Watching a movie on a big screen with excellent visuals and sound, travelling to a new place, attending a live concert, learning something through practical experience — these things aren’t always necessary for survival.
We do them because we want to enjoy the moment, explore something new or create memories.
Experience adds another dimension to life. It reminds us that life isn’t just about getting things done.
The interesting part
These three things aren’t limited to any particular generation or period.
Think about the invention of the wheel. It helped people move things with less effort. Over time, transportation evolved into carts, bicycles, cars, trains and aircraft.
The technology changed. The possibilities expanded. But the underlying motivations remained familiar: solving a problem, making life easier and creating better experiences.
And this is not limited to technology. We can see these motivations in our careers, businesses, relationships, entertainment and everyday decisions.
Sometimes, we consciously look for these things. Other times, they influence our decisions without us even realising it.
Will these desires ever end?
I don’t think so.
We solve one problem, and another appears. We make something convenient, and soon we expect an even easier option. We experience something wonderful, and eventually, we become curious about something new.
There is no permanent finish line.
And I don’t necessarily think this is bad. These desires are what encourage us to learn, explore, create and improve.
Imagine a world where nobody wanted to solve anything, make anything easier or experience anything new. What would motivate us to move forward?
Perhaps we should appreciate what we already have while continuing to look for ways to improve.
Because, knowingly or unknowingly, these three things have always been pushing us forward.
Solution. Convenience. Experience.
Maybe these aren’t just three things we seek in life. Maybe they are three of the fundamental forces that keep life moving.
