William J. Hobler, Jr wrote:
> Morty, you did propose something that is out of my reality when you posted,
>
> >I'd like to propose a heretical notion: that there is no such thing as
> >external motivation!!
>
> As I experience people struggling to make a life for themselves I find
> many of them partitioning their lives into what I do to survive and what I
> do for 'self-actualization' (to borrow a phrase from another thread). In
> some of them there is great angst in their work place and it continues
> until they retire -- because of external motivation.
>
> Our local newspaper recently highlighted the condition of new immigrants
> from Eastern Europe that are highly skilled or educated, the elite of
> their home country's work force -- low payed laborers here in the US.
> They drive taxi's and push lawn mowers in order to eat and have a roof
> over their heads. Certainly this employment is not driven by their
> intrinsic motivation.
> In many cases it is just the fact that our behavior does not conform to
> our beliefs that psychotherapy is so widely sought. Because I wish the
> best schools for my child (so that he or she can be freer) I must continue
> in this job I despise, but it pays well.
>
William,
I empathize with the reality of your observations in this posting. Most
have been, or known loved ones who are, cogs in the great machinery. A
quote (used by David Whyte in his "Heart Aroused") echoes your words:
"Only a few achieve the colossal task of holding together, without
being split asunder, the clarity of their vision alongside an ability to
take their place in a materialistic world. They are the modern heroes .
. . Artists at least have a form within which they can hold their own
conflicting opposites together. But there are some who have no
recognized artistic form to serve this purpose, they are artists of the
living. To my mind these last are the supreme heroes in our soulless
society." --Irene Claremont de Castillejo
Victims are motivated by pretty basic (and internalized) needs--survival,
sanity, some semblance of normalcy. Those who immigrated here were
motivated from within--many people who suffered the same injustices and
hardships elected to stay. Those who I've known--and there have been
quite a few--were motivated by the idea of economic freedom, political
liberties and freedom of movement. Those who I've met would rather be a
taxi driver here than a professional back in their homeland. I'm sure
there are those who would prefer to return. I could go on, but won't.
Simply put, there are many heroes who chose to hunker down and schlep
their lives away to create better lives for their loved ones. God bless
them.
-- Richard C. "Doc" Holloway, Thresholds--Human Development and Networking P.O. Box 2361, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 786-0925 Fax: (360) 709-4361 mailto:olypolys@nwrain.com"The familiar life horizon has been outgrown, the old concepts, ideals and emotional patterns no longer fit, the time for the passing of a threshold is at hand."
-Joseph Campbell
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>