Knowledge Needs and Information Extraction: Towards an Artificial Consciousness

Chapter 2

Self-motivation on a Daily Basis

There is no shortage of examples of self-motivation to be found in our daily lives. We need only take the time to look.

2.1. In news blogs

In terms of the media and political information, certain current affairs arouse a polemic – particularly immigration. Sometimes, the impression given by the discourse on blogs gives immigration as being at the root of all problems, and everything comes back to that. It is impossible to ever break free of the issue completely. Any explanation for a fact, a phenomenon, a series of events, can be put down to mistrust or hatred of foreigners. From that point on, readers will believe anything, and particularly nonsense. As soon as a “newspaper” or a Website reports something: readers believe, they are certain, they are horrified/scandalized/revolted. This is self-belief which is reinforced because, since they already believe it, they make no attempt to verify the veracity of the information. The nationalism which underlies a fragmented, “isolating” and xenophobic political culture goes hand-inhand with self-belief in a unique nation, alone and unequalled in the world (anadelfo ethnos: a nation without brothers or sisters).

2.2. Marketing

In the world of marketing, superstar salespeople are trained and motivated, animated, enthusiastic, persistent, have self-confidence, are sometimes arrogant, with no fear of outright rejection, driven by success, they have firm self-belief. They know that they will sell; ...