Of course it’s impossible to list all of the reasons people have or conceivably could have for wishing to learn from others. Instead, I shall try to list what I see as general motivating factors and the ones most relevant to this project.

To get answers to questions

We go because we seek answers; because we believe that the answers to our questions are to be found there (that other people have knowledge. That we can learn from them and that by doing so we will be better off).

It is a mark of wisdom to recognise the value of learning from others. Learning from others typically means either learning from their mistakes or learning from the energy and effort that they have invested into investigating, understanding and finding the truths of a certain subject.

If we wish to accomplish anything practical, it’s wise and prudent to go (at least initially) to ‘the library’, (i.e. seek the wisdom and guidance of others, who have actually either achieved what you want to achieve and/or thought far longer and harder about a subject than you have.) The saying ‘Don’t try to reinvent the wheel’ springs to mind.

To avoid wasting resources.

To learn from the mistakes of other people:

To become aware of the potential pitfalls which lie along a particular path, especially when it’s a particular path we’re considering taking:

By learning about the mistakes other people have made as they attempted to reach their own goals, we become aware of potential pitfalls which lie in wait, on a particular path. If our goals are of a similar nature, then the same pitfalls will likely be waiting for us too. With this awareness, we are more likely to navigate them successfully (i.e. avoid falling into them). This increases our chances of success (reduces the chances of failure) because if we can avoid the pitfalls we can avoid wasting resources (time, money etc) clawing ourselves out or paying others to do it for us. Those resources are then available to be put to other, more productive and profitable uses.

So to summarise: The desire to avoid loss, to avoid wasting precious resources is a primary motivating factor for entrepreneurs to visit ‘the library’.

To seek reassurance

we go to the library to feel reassured, that there are others out there who have achieved what we wish to achieve; who, like us also have struggled to overcome difficulties and dark times in their lives (i.e. personal tragedies, relationship breakdowns, addictions, financial hardships and so on) and yet, were still able to achieve extraordinary things in spite of these difficulties. This helps generate feelings of optimism inside us. We get a buzz from imagining ourselves being in that same position, imagining how great it would feel to have the things they have, experience the kind of things they have experienced and do the things that they can do. We think, well…if they can….I can too.

Self-improvement

To improve yourself: learn a new skill, get better at an existing skill or expand the depth, breadth and/or accuracy of our knowledge. To become more cultured; expand our perspectives and intellectual horizons (i.e. become a richer, more, well rounded individual); to feel the sense of personal satisfaction and fulfilment which comes either from doing the activity itself or from the knowledge that we are pushing and stretching ourselves. This extra knowledge/ability enables us to do things we were unable to do before or do the things we’ve been able to for some time, better. If it’s practical knowledge/advice which we can apply in our own lives: to our businesses, relationships, hobbies, lifestyles then we can hopefully help them become more like what we hope, imagine and dream they can be.

When we grow/improve new opportunities present themselves. New, bigger challenges can be faced with confidence and successfully accomplished.

Why self-improve?

To affect the (subjective) evaluations of others, causing them to consider us a more valuable/interesting/attractive/ worthwhile person; to impress them (generate envy and other positive and or negative emotions).

The desire to improve doesn’t necessarily have to be for financial reasons, although that seems to be a common reason encountered when you begin to ask people “why?” they do the majority of the things they do. However, wealth is never the true end goal. It’s always what wealth enables you to get (wealth is a means to another higher end) for example, security, comfort, respect, power etc.

Self improvement, in many ways has become a cultural ideal.

Those not interested in or who scorn and scoff at the idea of self improvement or at those who actively make efforts to improve themselves, do so because they are content to remain the way they are, content with being less than they could be. They are considered to lack something, whether it’s self esteem, ambition, drive or emotional strength; even if this isn’t the case, if we lose the desire to challenge/push/stretch ourselves then we stagnate. It’s hard to shake the idea that in some way this is a waste and that there is a fundamental shame, tragedy or sadness involved in wasted potential. So, the desire to not be seen as or labelled as a person uninterested in self improvement may in fact be a motivating factor which causes people to go to the library.

To eradicate self doubt and ensure our success

We go to search for the Holy Grail – that one piece of information/knowledge/wisdom/advice that will make success inevitable and completely eradicate all self doubt, no matter how deep seated and entrenched those doubts are. We falsely believe that one day, if we search long and hard enough, we’ll find it and when we finally do, the world will be ours for the taking; we’ll be unstoppable. Unfortunately this is an illusory search; it’s a way of procrastinating and deluding yourself.