I have identified in my mind that there are 3 types of ways one is driven to learn:

1. The bat-over-the-head method
2. Competition
3. Curiosity, or Interest

The first method, while it may produce brilliant musicians, athletes and scientists, I think is the worse of the three. Its a forceful, rather oppressive method by which to teach a child. Perhaps it may work, and I would suppose that there are times when this method may be necessary, if used appropriately and on occasion, but too much I think would only hinder the development of a child mind. It is probably a useful method more for training character traits like discipline, not as much for learning. To develop a mentality–that sometimes learning, and life in general, is hard. And you gotta do stuff you don’t always want to.

The second method, one that I think was my biggest push towards studying physics and mathematics, is competition. Its like: I see that lad over there gets all the girls–I want that too. That one has a lot of money from starting a business, I want to learn how to do that too so that I can have money as well. It is a desire for self-fulfillment not centered on the subject, but the objective. After sometime, this competitive desire will possibly transition to the curiosity-method.

The third method, which I find to be the strongest motivator for learning and most enriching for the self, is curiosity. It just so happens, the child stumbles upon (better yet: is given the opportunity to stumble upon) the subject that their mind naturally inclines towards. It is a genuine desire to do the activity simply for the fact that it brings one some inner-happiness. To learn about {insert subject-here}. One does not pick up a guitar motivated by the desire that people will like them,  but rather simply interested in the various sounds the guitar makes–it brings the student pleasure, simply for its own sake.