TL;DR
Get gifts for the two of you delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
Bolde’s article argues that people who rely less on others’ approval may be less inclined to publicize personal goals, relationships, health changes, generosity and hardships. The source presents these as examples of a psychological shift, not findings from a new study, and does not establish that privacy reliably signals independence or intrinsic motivation.
Bolde has published an article arguing that people who depend less on outside approval may be less likely to announce personal goals, relationship changes, health decisions and difficult experiences. The piece offers examples and connects them to intrinsic motivation, but it does not report a new study showing that keeping such matters private is a reliable sign someone has stopped seeking approval.
The article’s central idea is that a shift in motivation may change what a person chooses to share, rather than the decisions they make. Someone might complete a job application, end a relationship, alter a health habit or reach a financial goal without turning the experience into a public update. Bolde characterizes this as acting because something matters personally, rather than because it could draw praise or reassurance.
Its examples cover six areas: future plans, relationship status, acts of generosity, health and fitness, money, and hardships experienced while they are unfolding. The source begins a seventh example about parenting choices, describing a person who answers questions briefly without defending or advertising their decision. The supplied excerpt cuts off before that section is complete.
The article refers to self-determination theory, associated with psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, and attributes a statement about generosity and habit loops to therapist Sherry Gaba. However, the source material provides no study title, journal citation, direct quotation from Deci or Ryan, or detailed evidence for the article’s specific examples. Its headline should therefore be read as a broad lifestyle framing, not a research-backed checklist for identifying people’s motives.
Privacy Is Not a Psychology Test
The idea may resonate with readers who feel pressure to share milestones, explain decisions or make difficult experiences legible to others. Bolde’s examples offer one possible interpretation: a person may keep something private because it feels complete without an audience. That framing can prompt reflection about whether sharing serves a personal purpose or is mainly a bid for reassurance.
But the same outward behavior can have many explanations. A person may share less because they value privacy, have limited time, fear judgment, lack support, or are dealing with a sensitive situation. Conversely, someone may openly celebrate a goal while still being internally motivated. Silence alone cannot establish motive, and treating non-disclosure as proof of psychological independence risks oversimplifying both privacy and approval-seeking.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Motivation Theory Cited
Self-determination theory examines motivation and the conditions that support it, including autonomy, competence and connection with others. Deci and Ryan’s work is relevant background for discussing the difference between acting for personal reasons and acting for external rewards or pressure. The distinction is not simply that recognition is always harmful or that private action is always healthier.
Bolde uses that general framework to interpret everyday choices, such as not announcing a purchase or discussing a breakup widely. The supplied article does not give enough methodological detail to establish that these behaviors follow from a specific psychological mechanism. Its scenarios are illustrations rather than reported results from interviews, a survey or an experiment.
“They stop narrating it.”
— Bolde article
motivational journals for self-determination
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Evidence Behind the Examples
The supplied source does not identify when the article was published, provide links to the research it invokes, or explain how its examples were gathered. It is unclear whether the references to Deci and Ryan and Gaba support the specific claim that people who seek less approval tend not to announce these particular parts of their lives.
The article also cannot show why any individual chooses not to disclose a goal, breakup, health change or hardship. The behavior may reflect motivation, personal boundaries or circumstances unrelated to approval. The excerpt’s parenting section is incomplete, and the source gives no additional reporting that would resolve these limits.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What Readers Can Verify
No follow-up study, expert interview or research release is identified in the supplied material. The next useful step for evaluating the article’s claims would be to consult the underlying self-determination theory research and any direct sources cited for the discussion of generosity, then distinguish those findings from Bolde’s illustrative scenarios.
For readers applying the idea to their own lives, the article supports reflection rather than a diagnostic conclusion. Whether someone shares a personal update is not enough to determine what motivates them; direct conversation and the person’s own account would provide more reliable evidence.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Did the article report a new psychology study?
No. The supplied Bolde article offers examples and references established psychological ideas, but it does not report a new study or provide original research results.
What does intrinsic motivation mean here?
It refers to doing something because it is personally meaningful or satisfying, rather than mainly to earn an external reward or approval. The article uses the concept to interpret private choices.
Does keeping a goal private prove someone no longer seeks approval?
No. Privacy can have many causes, and sharing a goal does not prove that a person depends on others’ approval. The article’s examples are not a reliable test of an individual’s motives.
Which personal matters does the article discuss?
It discusses future plans, relationships, generosity, health and fitness, finances, and hardships. The supplied excerpt also starts a section on parenting choices but ends before it is complete.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
