What’s so wrong with Ulterior Motives?
We hear it mentioned so often, that he or she has done great work or has been a great help, but they have ulterior motives. Perhaps we may have even been accused of it ourselves.
So do we have ulterior motives and what makes them so bad?
The online edition of the Merriam Webster Dictionary[1] defines ulterior as being “Further” or “more distant” or “to go beyond what is openly said”.
Of course motive is the driving force behind our actions and deeds, the “why” to our “what” and “how”.
So plainly an ulterior motive is a reason for our actions that goes beyond or further than what one sees on the surface. I know that as a manager it is sometimes beneficial to lay out the entire plan of a project to the team that is working on it, and at other times it’s more prudent to simply allow each member be concerned exclusively with his or her portion of it. Possibly because the complexity of the plan could affect the details of the needed tasks or sometimes it’s a matter of simplicity. I have ulterior motives behind the tasks I’m assigning my teams.
As a martial arts instructor, I will most often teach a student a particular technique or set of techniques which they will later put together with others to form a drill, a kata, or a combat scenario set. By keeping them focused on those single skill sets, they are able to develop strong and sound techniques, conversely if I show them the end result, a student will often jump to the conclusion of the set and ignore the skills involved to build it. This results in poor mechanics and an increased risk of injury and failure, both of which can be fatal to a burgeoning martial arts training career.
In each of these cases are the people involved interested in seeing the bigger picture? Certainly. Do the ulterior motives affect the outcome of the task or project? Well, that is where the concept of ulterior motives takes a turn to the gray. Often people who feel that something is being kept from them, will then harbor a sense of betrayal, which can lead to poor results or complete mutiny. So, there should be an open environment where everyone involved shares in the global plan and no one should be ignored.
OK, so right about now you’re probably saying, “Those aren’t ulterior motives. Ulterior motives are when my kids clean the house so that we’ll say yes to taking them to a movie, or my spouse fixes my favorite meal because they want to go away with their friends for the weekend. It’s when my neighbor volunteers at the soup kitchen so she can network with the bank executive that volunteers there, who is there so that he can curry favor with the regional president for doing community service.” Well you’re right also, those are ulterior motives, and they’re certainly not specifically altruistic, but it doesn’t innately make them wrong or evil does it? Think about it.
The house got cleaned – would you have preferred it cluttered an messy?
You got your favorite meal – you did need to eat right?
The poor and homeless are being fed – did you want them not to?
Sometimes in out tirades of self-righteous indignation of people not telling us “everything” we overlook the greater good. You can’t necessarily change the motive for what brought the person to where they are, but if that motive results in a positive action, is it not also possible that the activity and sincere gratitude of the recipients who may have been “duped” by the ulterior motives, might not spark a deeper selfless interest in that service.
Certainly, there are times when the ulterior motive is inherently fraudulent with the only purpose being personal gain at the expense of another and these must certainly be labeled as the evil that they are. However, in this jaded society, I think for the greater good we might be able to give most people the benefit of the doubt and realize that if something good comes of it, what does it matter why they did it, and if they keep doing it, perhaps just maybe God will move them to a place of genuine servitude towards His kingdom. Understand that we all have motives and some are more obvious than others sometimes even to ourselves.
