Common needs are timeless and universal. Yet talking to users to reveal these wants will likely prove ineffective because they themselves don't know which emotions motivate them. People just don't think in these terms. You'll find that people's declared preferences - what they say they want - are far different from their revealed preferences - what they actually do.

As Erika Hall, author of 'Just Enough Research' writes, "When the research focuses on what people actually do (watch cat videos) rather than what they wish they did (produce cinema-quality home movies) it actually expands possibilities.

There are many counterintuitive and surprising ways companies can boost users'' motivation or increase their ability by understanding heuristics - the mental shortcuts we take to make decisions and form opinions

We are driven to conquer obstacles, even if just for the satisfaction of doing so

Pursuing a task to completion can influence people to continue all sorts of behaviors. Surprisingly, we even pursue these rewards when we don't outwardly appear to enjoy them.

The reward of the self are fueled by "intrinsic motivation" as highlighted by the work of Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. Their self-determination theory espouses that people desire, among other things, to gain a sense of competency. Adding an element of mystery to this goal makes the pursuit all the more enticing.