Motive Matters in personality.

by Van Benson
(Joplin MO USA)

When we think about personality, the most basic question is WHY do I do what I do. In order to answer that most basic question, we must study human motivations. A motive is an inner impulse to action.

Motive based personality typing is based on the work and research of Dr. Taylor Hartman, Ph.D, Author of the best selling book "The Color Code", newly released as "The People Code".

Dr. Hartman's Theory of Motive Based Personality uses four colors, each one representing the driving core motive for ones personality. Red stands for power, the energy necessary to move from A to B and be productive. Blue stands for the motive of intimacy, a deep, close, personal connection of the heart. White stands for the motive of peace, an inner sense of calm and tranquility. Yellow represents the motive of fun, living life in the moment, fully engaged.
Hartman Theory assigns 8 emotional needs and wants that are common to each color. For example Reds needs to look good technically, Blues need to be good morally, Whites need to feel good inside, and Yellows need to look good socially. Understanding these, along with the other needs and wants, which Hartman likens to air to your personality, offers you a simple road map to create and sustain successful relationships.

Most people represent a blending of all four colors. Therefore, while one may have traits of strengths and limitations from any or all the four colors, nevertheless, each person will identify best with only one driving core motive which is innate, came with you at birth...or while still in the womb for that matter, as most women who have carried more than one child will testify to. No two people are the same, and no color is better than another. Although we cannot change our core color, we may choose the motive of service to develop the gifts and strengths of all the colors, what Dr. Hartman refers to as "The Charactered Path".

Van Benson, a Master Certified Motive Trainer for Motive Matters teaches The People Code as a tool for developing self-awareness, self-improvement, and building effective relationships in business, marriage, and faith based workshops. He says, "The understanding of Motive brings people together in a new and fresh understanding of our unique personalities, connecting them in a way that is really quite healing for marriages, parent-child relationships, and in building synergistic business teams as well."