Self-Conscious Emotions & Motivation
Will Hunting had a traumatic and chaotic upbringing where he had to move into various foster homes and experienced physical abuse. At a young age, he wasn't able to distinguish where the abandonment and abuse came from. Instead of attributing these to external, uncontrollable factors, he recognized the causes as internal, uncontrollable characteristics: he felt he was not good enough, worthy, or lovable as a whole person, comparing himself to what other people expected of him, and he brought himself into these situations. He felt shame and low self-esteem, which made him reclusive from broader social interactions and career aspirations. For example, Will stayed with his group of friends, his safety net, even though they didn't share common interests in math, history, or a passion for knowledge. They also worked together as construction workers, and Will was content with this condition and assumed it would last a very long time. He did not try to explore, even when opportunities...
