Motives

It's a curious thing ... a person's motive for doing something.

Something I sometimes find even more curious is as to why it becomes so important to us to try fathom anothers' motive.

Sometimes I wonder why on earth we bother trying to work out a persons motives for their actions/behaviour. I guess it's just a part of trying to work out what is going on, trying to make sense of a situation that doesn't, on the face of it, make sense.

But we're humans, we seem to often do things that make no sense, things for which there is no reason - at least no reason that makes sense to others.

Perhaps it's because we want there to be 'mitigating circumstances' - like someone who steals a loaf of bread because their children are starving. Or because they've been brainwashed with 'incorrect' information/ideas.

Sometimes the answers aren't pretty, sometimes there is simply no answer to the question, sometimes when we have the answer it still doesn't make sense (and then either give up trying to understand, or keep looking because 'obviously there must be another reason).

Sometimes when we have the answer we 'get it', can at least understand (if not forgive) the behaviour.

What is this need to understand anothers' behaviour?

Why are we humans cursed with the need to ask the question 'why'? (ROFL)