The Future in Mind: Aspirations and Forward-Looking Behaviour in Rural

Ethiopia

Created by SGUSTAFSON
Updated at 1411943528
Tags: 
 Africa
 
 Evidence-Based Research

Flickr: Stijn Debrouwere

A person’s aspirations, or goals and targets for their future, can be a driving force in their life, providing motivation

and guiding their choices. But when forming aspirations, all people dismiss some options for their future lives, and fail

to even imagine other options or opportunities. Once formed, our aspirations can limit the possible futures we

consider by focusing our attention on some future options and filtering out others.

Poor people who have faced the ongoing struggles may not believe that a better life is possible. Their aspirations

may reflect the belief that their future opportunities are limited, that there is limited potential for a change in their

circumstances, or that they have limited ability to change their lives. As a result, they may be unwilling to invest in

certain opportunities.

Role models could help change all that. A new paper, co-authored by Tanguy Bernard (IFPRI/University of

Bordeaux), Stefan Dercon (University of Oxford), Kate Orkin (University of Cambridge), and Alemayehu Seyoum

Taffesse (IFPRI), suggests that when people see inspiring examples of other people changing their lives, they may

revise their aspirations and alter their choices regarding investments, savings, and even education for their children.

In a randomized field experiment conducted in 64 rural Ethiopian villages in 2010 and 2011, poor participants were

shown short documentaries in which people of similar socio-economic backgrounds tell personal stories about how

they were able to change their circumstances and better their lives. Importantly, the documentaries emphasize hard

work, goal-setting, and careful decision-making - none of the people interviewed in the documentaries became

extremely successful, but all moved out of poverty without the help of government programs or NGOs.
Participants who were invited to a documentary screening were compared to both a control and a placebo group that

was shown short comedy sketches. The experiment found that the documentaries increased participants’ aspirations

six months after viewing. The treatment group increased their total savings by 97 birr (compared to the control

group’s mean of 182 birr) and total amount taken in credit by 21 birr (compared to the control group mean of 101 birr).

Exposure to the documentaries also increased parents’ immediate investments in their children’s education. The

number of children between the ages of 6 and 15 who were enrolled in school increased by 21 percent from the

baseline average across all groups and 17 percent from the control group’s average at the time of the endline survey.

Treated households also spent 17 percent more on school expenses than the control group average in the same

period.

Varying the number of individuals exposed to documentaries across villages, we also find evidence of peer effects,

with the number of a person’s friends who are invited to the documentary further contributing to that person’s decision

to invest in their children’s education.

The documentaries altered people’s perceptions about whether they are able to shape their lives and future. The

intervention increased the extent to which people think their life’s outcome depends on their own actions and choices

and decreases the extent to which they see poverty as a condition determined by fate. The findings also show that

the documentaries did not alter people’s preferences in terms of their willingness to take risks, nor the extent to which

they discount the future, ruling out some of the other possible explanations for the change in their behavior.

All the results were measured six months after the documentary screenings occurred. The randomized experimental

design ensures that any changes in behavior could only be due to the intervention, not to any other changes. The

nature and extent of responses in the treatment group are surprising and make a strong case for further research on

the psychological effects of poverty and on the role that interventions to reduce these psychological effects may play

in reducing poverty.
http://www.foodsecurityportal.org/believing-tomorrow-how-aspirations-can-lift-households-out-poverty

What is your aspiration in life?

As·pi·ra·tion (n.)
   ― A hope or ambition of achieving something.
After high school, this should be one of the most difficult question that you could ever
asked to yourself. Throughout those four years of your life, you've been preparing for
the goal that you’ve been thinking or planning to achieve. An obligation to embark into
your life. 

What is a goal?

Goal (n.)
     ―  The object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
I am now in College and have been dealt with a bunch of situation that you couldn't
even possibly think about in high school. As you are thinking College would be the
biggest momentum of your life, which is not. There are still a bunch of things that you
need to know, which makes Collage the biggest expedition in your entire life. You will
get hit by these responsibilities and obligation that you can't even imagine what is going
on. This will cause you a few set backs, in order for you to move forward. As for
myself, I have disappointed a lot of people in my life and also including myself. In this
journey, I've learned that mistake is not a worry, mistake is part of your life as a growing
process, and it is also building process as a person. Mistake takes a huge part on
yourself more than any other else in your life. You will learn to solve your way out,
instead of depending on people around you. You can also manage to depend on
someone and still can manage to be independent at the same time. However, you need
to understand that they will no longer always going to be there; as they are, themselves
have a different path and challenges in their life.
As for yourself, you are responsible on what is happening on your life and surrounding.
You create who you are, by building your character as the person you wanted to be in
the future. Being the better person as you are years ago, and it's all part of growing. You
will never be the same person as you are before; therefore growing is a part of the
human process/progress.
Creating a goal is just the easy part. However, maintaining and creating is the tough
part of it. In order to do so, you have to be passionate about what you are pursuing.
Pas·sion (n.)
     ― Strong and barely controllable emotion. A strong will.
Finding your passion in life is one of the biggest part of your journey. Your passion is
the path that you are creating, by pursuing your goals that leads you to your future self.
Your passion in life must be the reason on pursuing your goal or maybe goals that are/is
leading you to your aspiration. Aspiration is the one that's have establish or will
establish your future self. Being passionate, patient, and self driven is the key to build
your goal and accomplish them ― it's also the thing that you need to be eligible to attain
your goals in life. However, the choices and decisions are all based up to yourself's
perspective of your future self. Creating what you envision on pursuing and accomplish
them. Remember: nothing is a bad decision, everything can change, every problem
have a solution, and that you can control everything. Now, it's just all up to you.

What Is Aspiration?
source: pexels.com

"She has political aspirations." "Being a good parent like that is something I have always aspired to."
"My main aspiration is to fall asleep at night knowing that I have made the world a better place."
"What is your aspiration in life?"

What Is The Meaning Of Aspiration?

An aspiration is a strong hope, dream, or goal. The idea of aspiration has a positive, upward
connotation. We aspire to be or to become something that is seen as better than what or where we
currently are. People can have social aspirations, career aspirations, and personal aspirations. One
way to think about the meaning of aspiration is considered the idea of reaching for the stars. We
may never quite make it, but the act of looking and moving upwards is what makes our day to day
life meaningful.

How Do Aspirations Differ From Goals And Ambitions?

Since an aspiration is a strong hope, dream, or goal, it is reasonable to ask how aspirations differ
from goals or ambitions. In some senses, these words are synonyms. If someone uses "#goals" on
Twitter or Instagram, they are clearly referring to an aspiration - either one that they have
themselves, or one that they believe that they exemplify for other people. In the same way, a person
might be said to have ambitions towards writing, or be possessed of career ambitions. But while
these are ways that goals, ambitions, and aspirations are similar, they are different in important
ways.

3 Differences Between Aspiration, Goals, And Ambition

1. Aspiration is generally long-term. Goals can be almost anything. We could make a goal to
spend five minutes weeding the window box, or an hour in the gym. These are not
aspirations. They may, however, be stepping stones on the way to an aspiration. So while
some goals can also be aspirations, most goals are tools that we use to further our
aspirations.

1. Aspirations are directional; ambition, however, can be unfocused. An ambitious person may
be eager to take on difficult tasks or roles for the inherent challenge alone. Some people just
like to do difficult things. Just as a goal can be an aspiration, or a mere tool for the journey so
that an ambition can be an aspiration or just a short-term challenge.

1. An aspiration can exist without action, while ambition always provides movement. A weak
aspiration can be more like a fantasy. People may say that they aspire to a goal without
taking steps to reach it. Ambition, on the other hand, is always connected with action. Strong,
successful aspirations require some ambition.

Is Aspiration Important?

The question "what is aspiration?" has another definition. This second definition looks, at first glance,
to be entirely unrelated to what we have been discussing. "Aspiration" also means to breathe
something in. We aspire air (and things that we shouldn't, like food or liquids).
Source: rawpixel.com

On further inspection, however, the two definitions of aspiration have more in common than we
might think. Aspiration, in the sense of breathing, is a physical necessity. Aspiration, in the sense of
aiming at a higher goal, is a mental and emotional necessity. Our aspirations keep us going.

Aspirations answer the question "why?" Why do we sit at a desk every day? Why do we run cash
registers? Why do we attend meetings? Sometimes that answer is as simple as feeding, clothing,
and sheltering ourselves. But even these supposedly simple answers are tied to our aspirations.
What are the other things that we want to do with our lives, once we are fed, clothed, and sheltered?
These sometimes mundane jobs often provide for the hobbies, families, and service activities that
make up our aspirations. Our aspirations are the things that keep us moving through daily
experiences ranging from the mundane to the truly difficult.

Are Aspirations Always Good?

Our aspirations are our hopes, dreams, and goals. They keep us moving purposefully through life.
But are aspirations always a force for good?

Like almost anything, aspiration can have a dark side. Inappropriate or unrealized aspirations can
cause a lot of heartaches. People may aspire to things that are completely unrealistic, or
disconnected from their daily lives. These aspirations could cause them to neglect important people
or responsibilities. Sometimes, people's' aspirations are set by social or cultural pressure, rather
than an expression of personal desire. In those cases, reaching these aspirations is unlikely to make
the person truly fulfilled.

On the other hand, failing to reach our aspirations can lead to despair. Unfulfilled aspirations have
even been connected to suicide risk. Like any truly important factor in your mental health, aspiration
is only one piece of the puzzle.
What Is Your Aspiration In Life?

We've seen how aspiration differs from mere goals or ambition. We've looked at why aspiration is
important, and we've briefly considered the dark side of aspiration. All of these factors are important
for the next question:

What is your aspiration in life?

If you don't know the answer to that question, here are three steps to help you think about it.

1. See if you have an aspiration or aspirations without being consciously aware of them.

Consider your actions. Are you working hard to a degree, in hopes of getting a good job? Is that job
connected to higher aspirations? Perhaps you are content to work a lower status or lower paid job to
free yourself from other activities, such as gaming or hiking. Do you have aspirations in those
hobbies? Or do the job, and the hobbies together serve a different aspiration, such as making you a
stable, well-rounded, reliable person for your family and friends?

Look in the direction of your actions, and see if you can spot an aspiration of which even you were
unaware!

Source: pexels.com

1. Ask yourself "why?" Perhaps your actions don't point you to an aspiration that you can
articulate. You can then begin to ask yourself why you do those things.

There are many possible answers to every "why?" question. We work, play, and maintain
relationships for all kinds of reasons. Find a quiet space, and ask yourself why you do what you do.
See what answers you find.
After you find the answers to your "why?" questions, decide if you like them. Consider ways that
outside pressure from family, peers, or culture may be influencing your motivations. If you feel stuck,
anxious, or depressed at this point, a trained counselor, like the ones at betterhelp.com, may be able
to help you navigate.

1. Articulate your aspirations. Once you have looked at your actions and asked yourself why
you do what you do, you may find that you lack aspirations. Take a little time to think about
the kind of person that you would like to be. Is there a social role that you would like to fill? A
field of activity or study that you would like to participate in? Write down a word, phrase, or
detailed description of what you want from and for yourself. Congratulations! You have
aspirations.

What If It's Hard To Find My Aspirations?

Some circumstances make it difficult to find or articulate our aspirations. Mental and physical
illnesses may make it seem like our life is controlled by our limitations, rather than our aspirations.
What can we do in those circumstances?

First, remember that aspiration does not need to be lofty. It does not need to involve high powered
careers or large amounts of money. We can aspire to be a better person, no matter our
circumstances. We can aspire to goals that look smaller to other people, like being an available
friend.

Second, allow yourself space and time to figure things out. Aspirations are important, but they are
not always urgent. Sometimes we just need to survive. If that's where you're at, then it is permissible
to put aside more lofty aims in favor of treading water while you find help.

Third, if it feels impossible to think about or discover your aspirations, you may benefit from
professional help. The therapists at betterhelp.com can assess your situation. They may be able to
help you feel less overwhelmed, more in tune with your desires and capabilities, and ready to take a
look at what you truly want out of life.

What Is The Meaning Of Aspiration?

Source: pixabay.com

Our aspirations are the core of what keeps us moving through life. Aspirations can be the wishing
star that pulls us forward or the secret inner life that keeps us alive through difficult times. But to take
their proper place, our aspirations need to truly reflect what we want and what we are capable of.
Unrealistic, unmet, or inappropriate aspirations can take a toll on our mental and emotional health. In
the face of this, some people decide that aspirations aren't worth the risk. It is, however, better to
name and chase our aspirations, than to drift through life without them. If we have a proper
understanding of the place of aspirations, and our mental health is in good order, aspirations will
always serve as a guide and a touchstone, rather than an opportunity for despair.