--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was clear from talking to them, that…" description: "\"“It was clear from talking to them, that what kept them motivated was the quality of the experience they felt when they were involved with the activity..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/steven-kotler-7422_motivated_it-was-clear-from-talking-to-them-that-w_3010707.png" --- # It was clear from talking to them, that what kept them… ![“It was clear from talking to them, that what kept them motivated was the quality of the experience they felt when they were involved with the activity. The feeling didn’t come when they were relaxing, when they were taking drugs or alcohol, or when they were consuming the expensive privileges of…” quote by Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/steven-kotler-7422_motivated_it-was-clear-from-talking-to-them-that-w_3010707.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/steven-kotler-7422_motivated_it-was-clear-from-talking-to-them-that-w_3010707.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/steven-kotler-7422_motivated_it-was-clear-from-talking-to-them-that-w_3010707.png) > ““It was clear from talking to them, that what kept them motivated was the quality of the experience they felt when they were involved with the activity. The feeling didn’t come when they were relaxing, when they were taking drugs or alcohol, or when they were consuming the expensive privileges of wealth. Rather, it often involved painful, risky, difficult activities that stretched the person’s capacity and involved an element of novelty and discovery.”” [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Motivation arises from challenging, novel experiences that stretch abilities, not from comfort or material excess. **In simple terms:** Hard, new challenges drive motivation. Key Takeaway Seek stretch experiences. Themes motivation challenge growth Mood excited curious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team building - adventure sports - creative projects - leadership training Key Concepts flow state risk novelty Questions to Reflect On - What risks are worth taking? - How do you balance safety and challenge? A Different Perspective Risk can lead to burnout if unmanaged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-felt-487960/) [Felt Involved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-involved-2293604/) [Kept Motivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kept-motivated-454491/) [Motivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivated/) [Motivated Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivated-quality-4826013/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [I have to give credit to my trainer. He definitely kept me motivated in staying in shape... 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I had, before that, sort of a typical, sad history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/i-got-into-my-first-serious-relationship-with-a-man-when-i-was-twenty/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [What kept me motivated was the fact that I constantly wanted to be better. I wasn't satisfied with what I was doing. I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breanna-stewart/what-kept-me-motivated-was-the-fact-that-i-constantly-wanted-to-be/) [Breanna Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breanna-stewart/) > [Injuries have always kept me going, always kept me motivated, actually taught me how much I have to put hard yards and the hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hardik-pandya/injuries-have-always-kept-me-going-always-kept-me-motivated-actually/) [Hardik Pandya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hardik-pandya/) > [“I looked for themes and underlying principles across lectures,” and “I went over mistakes until I was certain I understood them.” They were studying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/i-looked-for-themes-and-underlying-principles-across-lectures-and-i/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [Thanks to a lot of good people around me, they kept me motivated, and I'm here as a champion in two different weight classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-pereira/thanks-to-a-lot-of-good-people-around-me-they-kept-me-motivated-and-i/) [Alex Pereira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-pereira/) > [I've talked to Frank Gore, Willis McGahee - different guys who had similar injuries to me. Those guys have been great mentors to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-bridgewater/i-ve-talked-to-frank-gore-willis-mcgahee-different-guys-who-had/) [Teddy Bridgewater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-bridgewater/) > [The thing that kept me motivated was seeing myself do well, just seeing myself make plays out there on the field. 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Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-ames/) > [“Before that experience, I had often felt the kind of alone that comes from the suspicion that you are not only genetically different from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-lauren/before-that-experience-i-had-often-felt-the-kind-of-alone-that-comes/) [Jillian Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-lauren/) > [The great poems are not about experience, but are the experience itself, felt in the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whyte/the-great-poems-are-not-about-experience-but-are-the-experience/) [David Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-whyte/) > [“I don't give a damn about you now, but it was a new experience for me and I felt a little dizzy for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-don-t-give-a-damn-about-you-now-but-it-was-a-new-experience-for-me/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I wanted to go to university and experience something that I felt like I'd missed. I wanted to be around bright, intelligent young people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-paige/i-wanted-to-go-to-university-and-experience-something-that-i-felt/) [Yasmin Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-paige/) ## More by Steven Kotler > [“The United States is in a tough spot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/the-united-states-is-in-a-tough-spot/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [“When you strip everything else away, technology is nothing more than the promise of an easier tomorrow. It’s the promise of hope. 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Dramatically.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/this-means-flow-packs-a-double-punch-it-doesn-t-just-increase-our/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [“A quick search on Google yields over 11.5 billion hits for the word “time.” In comparison, more obvious topics of interest like sex and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/a-quick-search-on-google-yields-over-11-5-billion-hits-for-the-word/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [“Risk heightens focus and flow follows focus. This means that the fight-or-flight response primes the body—chemically and psychologically—for the flow state. Athletes report moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/risk-heightens-focus-and-flow-follows-focus-this-means-that-the-fight/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [“Our limits are governed by flow’s ability to amplify performance as much as by imagination’s ability to dream up that performance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/our-limits-are-governed-by-flow-s-ability-to-amplify-performance-as/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [“As it turns out, what makes a dog adoptable has very little to do with dogs, a great deal to do with humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/as-it-turns-out-what-makes-a-dog-adoptable-has-very-little-to-do-with/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [“happiness raises nearly every business and educational outcome: raising sales by 37 percent, productivity by 31 percent, and accuracy on tasks by 19 percent,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/happiness-raises-nearly-every-business-and-educational-outcome/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [“Given that seven of the top twenty most-visited sites on the Web are porn sites, and that nearly 33 percent of all Internet searches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/given-that-seven-of-the-top-twenty-most-visited-sites-on-the-web-are/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [“Most people live in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make use of a very small portion of their possible consciousness,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/most-people-live-in-a-very-restricted-circle-of-their-potential-being/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) [Explore all 91 Steven Kotler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) ## More Motivated quotes > [If I could find the right kind of property, get tied in with the right movie, I'd love to be involved, but I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/if-i-could-find-the-right-kind-of-property-get-tied-in-with-the-right/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) > [What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chiarello/what-keeps-me-motivated-is-not-the-food-itself-but-all-the-bonds-and/) [Michael Chiarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chiarello/) > [I've never been motivated by money. My peers and colleagues inspire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-chase/i-ve-never-been-motivated-by-money-my-peers-and-colleagues-inspire-me/) [Robin Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-chase/) > [Goals not only help you develop initial motivation by making your dreams obtainable, but they also help you continue to be motivated and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/goals-not-only-help-you-develop-initial-motivation-by-making-your/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [From men motivated by moral certitude, history teaches, no lasting good ever comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/from-men-motivated-by-moral-certitude-history-teaches-no-lasting-good/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Or I could see Fish, Just a button up, Like a Mayor, Like a President, Just demands so much from his teammates, Has played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/or-i-could-see-fish-just-a-button-up-like-a-mayor-like-a-president/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [I'm motivated by injustice, which is embedded and constant and wrong - not by a vernacular soundboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-richards/i-m-motivated-by-injustice-which-is-embedded-and-constant-and-wrong/) [Amy Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-richards/) > [If you're starting out or trying to get to the next level, surround yourself with people who keep you motivated and energized - people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-famiglietti/if-you-re-starting-out-or-trying-to-get-to-the-next-level-surround/) [Anthony Famiglietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-famiglietti/) > [I pretend no originality in observing that mass education was motivated in part by the perceived need to "educate them to keep them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-pretend-no-originality-in-observing-that-mass-education-was/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If it suddenly became impossible for us to cover up all the junk we normally hide from the rest of humanity, I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/if-it-suddenly-became-impossible-for-us-to-cover-up-all-the-junk-we/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Cognitive and character skills work together as dynamic complements; they are inseparable. Skills beget skills. More motivated children learn more. Those who are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heckman/cognitive-and-character-skills-work-together-as-dynamic-complements/) [James Heckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heckman/) > [The most fascinating powers don't mean a thing if the guy's poorly motivated or dull, and the most generic powers won't hurt a well-motivated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/the-most-fascinating-powers-don-t-mean-a-thing-if-the-guy-s-poorly/) [Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/) > [I'm not scared of anything in particular, but I am motivated by a fear of failure as opposed to a need to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heston-blumenthal/i-m-not-scared-of-anything-in-particular-but-i-am-motivated-by-a-fear/) [Heston Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heston-blumenthal/) > [“all humans are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain, to seek hope and avoid fear, and finally, to seek social acceptance and avoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/all-humans-are-motivated-to-seek-pleasure-and-avoid-pain-to-seek-hope/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [I've been motivated by overcoming challenge and overcoming the hurdles and obstacles that face me. There still is plenty out there to get motivated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/i-ve-been-motivated-by-overcoming-challenge-and-overcoming-the/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) [Browse all 1,373 Motivated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was clear from talking to them, that what kept them motivated was the quality of the experience they felt when they were involved with the activity. The feeling didn’t come when they were relaxing, when they were taking drugs or alcohol, or when they were consuming the expensive privileges of wealth. 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