Contents
A strong, vivid and elusive feeling – it is difficult to define it, but it can be measured. It does not obey our will, but we can create the conditions for its appearance.
We most often talk about inspiration in relation to poets, artists and scientists: it is obvious to everyone that without it no artistic or scientific creativity is possible. But doesn’t each of us experience inspiration at least once in a while? Aren’t we inspired by the same verses or scientific discoveries? And the stories of other people who have reached some heights in their field or overcame difficulties? What about breathtaking views of nature? Finally, what are our own goals that we set for ourselves? Psychologists Todd Thrash and Andrew Elliot identify three sources of this uplifting experience: belief in the supernatural, our inner drives, and outer impulses (such as poetry or nature)1.
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The ability to be inspired can be measured
To measure one’s ability to be inspired, Todd Thrash and Andrew Elliot suggest rating four statements on two scales: frequency (where 1 means “never” and 7 means “very often”) and intensity (where 1 means “none” and 7 – “to a high degree”):
- I have experienced inspiration.
- I am inspired by what I face in life.
- I am inspired by what I do.
- I feel inspired.
Simple questions, right? However, before putting in a number, you may have paused, contemplating when and in what situations you feel inspired. The authors of the work believe that the sum of points is higher, the more a person is prone to positive emotions. It does not follow that those who are (almost) uninspired are depressed. But those who are easily inspired tend to have a more positive attitude.
To test their questionnaire, the researchers took two groups: inventors who received patents and college graduates who did not have patents. As expected, inventors scored higher on both scales (average of 20 points) than non-inventors (about 17 points).
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Inspiration helps you reach your goals
Is a high ability to experience inspiration related to the ability to achieve one’s goals? The study of Marina Milyavskaya and her colleagues from the Canadian McGill University was devoted to this issue.2. They suggested that “inspired” people are more likely to seek out and find inspiring goals and then try to achieve them.
About 200 students participated in the experiment. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire, indicating their goals for the next semester. In addition, they had to evaluate how these goals inspire them. At the end of the semester, participants reported how far they had progressed towards their goals. The hypothesis of the researchers was confirmed: those who were really inspired by their goals, achieved more success in their implementation.
The scheme here is as follows, says Marina Milyavskaya. The higher a person’s ability to experience inspiration, the more he is inclined to set exciting goals for himself and the higher his motivation to achieve these goals. At least in the short term.
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We know who we are, but we don’t know what we can become
What about those who “by nature” have little inspiration, but would like to experience it more often? Can you change yourself? Susan Krauss Whitbourne, psychologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst3, believes that the matter is not hopeless if a person is ready to be more attentive to his inner world. Look around: what landscapes give you peace, peace in your soul? Maybe it’s a blazing sunset or a perfectly designed bridge over a river? Think about it: what makes it special to you? How do you feel at this moment thinking about your life goals? Or you can try to find on the Internet one or two quotes from one of the greats that resonate with your feelings. The psychologist recalls the words of Shakespeare’s Ophelia: “We know who we are, but we do not know who we can become.” After all, this is about you: it is YOU who do not yet know who you can become. Sources for inspiration around the sea, says Susan Kraus Witborn, it’s all about keeping our eyes open. And it is not necessary to set yourself global goals. Even a modest goal, if it is truly meaningful to us, can make our life fulfilling.
1 T. M. Thrash & A. J. Elliot «Inspiration as a Psychological Construct», Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2003, vol. 84, № 4.
2 M. Milyavskaya et al. «Inspired to get there: The effects of trait and goal inspiration on goal progress», Personality And Individual Differences, 2012, № 52(1).
3 Author of The Search for Fulfillment, Ballantine Books, 2010.