Intrinsic Test

The Intent

Now that the roots are exposed, Illumination continues probing deeper to distinguish intrinsic goals from borrowed scripts. The Intrinsic Test determines whether or not a goal is authentic to you or dependent on external validation.

The Practice

Take goals, pursuits, and activities from your daily or weekly routines and list them. For each, ask: "Would I still do this if nobody knew, praised, or rewarded me for it?". Write "yes" or "no" beside each one. If the answer is "yes", then the driver is likely an intrinsic one. However, every answer that is a "no" reveals dependence on external validation, not something that truly matters to you.

The Insight

Intrinsic goals are validated within yourself and provide their own satisfaction, while external goals require an audience to be sustained and collapse without approval. This test refines your awareness and distinguishes between desires that are truly yours and those that are not.