Objectivists' Motivation
Posted by Zenphamy 9 years, 5 months ago to Philosophy
OBJECTIVIST MOTIVATION
Ayn Rand’s Objectivist motivation boils down to one statement—Existence exists. You exist and in order to continue to exist, there are facts that need to be logically and rationally incorporated within the self, recognized, and exercised. Food, shelter, etc. And that logic continues on to other levels of life and Objectivism and complexity.
In another life a number of years ago, I worked for Armand Hammer, a few levels beneath, but became exposed to him and his traveling video production group, and during conducting him through the project and explaining the different phases and progress, became a little nervous about the cameras and production people as well as curious. I asked one of the production people what this was all about.
I learned that Hammer, during his later years had decided to develop a series of productions for Occidental’s management and for others. A significant portion of the series dealt with the need to understand the differences of what motivates employees as well as others that one dealt with throughout business and life.
What Hammer believed was that the environment and conditions of the decade in which one comes to adulthood becomes a primary motivator for much of the rest of one’s life. He used as illustration his own teen years in Russia as a young Jew (with his need for his freedom to accomplish and live without fear), then that of those that came to age during the depression of the thirties (the need for a sense of security even more than high pay and personal recognition), those that then came to age during WWII, etc.
That occurred in 82 and I was in my mid 30’s. I’d reached senior engineer and manager with responsibilities greater at a much earlier age than a lot of employees significantly older than I, and many working for me. I’d done well in my relationships, but there was friction—some that I was never able to overcome that bothered me. I didn’t seek or expect friendship as much as I did mutual respect and acceptance beyond mere age.
Hammer’s thoughts and examples had a significant impact on me in future experience with those I was responsible for, worked for, or negotiated with. In exploring those thoughts and that approach to others, I felt that I understood my own motivations, both personally and as a practicing Objectivist.
But I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with other Objectivists about what do they see as their motivations, where-ever that drives them to. So what do you think?
Ayn Rand’s Objectivist motivation boils down to one statement—Existence exists. You exist and in order to continue to exist, there are facts that need to be logically and rationally incorporated within the self, recognized, and exercised. Food, shelter, etc. And that logic continues on to other levels of life and Objectivism and complexity.
In another life a number of years ago, I worked for Armand Hammer, a few levels beneath, but became exposed to him and his traveling video production group, and during conducting him through the project and explaining the different phases and progress, became a little nervous about the cameras and production people as well as curious. I asked one of the production people what this was all about.
I learned that Hammer, during his later years had decided to develop a series of productions for Occidental’s management and for others. A significant portion of the series dealt with the need to understand the differences of what motivates employees as well as others that one dealt with throughout business and life.
What Hammer believed was that the environment and conditions of the decade in which one comes to adulthood becomes a primary motivator for much of the rest of one’s life. He used as illustration his own teen years in Russia as a young Jew (with his need for his freedom to accomplish and live without fear), then that of those that came to age during the depression of the thirties (the need for a sense of security even more than high pay and personal recognition), those that then came to age during WWII, etc.
That occurred in 82 and I was in my mid 30’s. I’d reached senior engineer and manager with responsibilities greater at a much earlier age than a lot of employees significantly older than I, and many working for me. I’d done well in my relationships, but there was friction—some that I was never able to overcome that bothered me. I didn’t seek or expect friendship as much as I did mutual respect and acceptance beyond mere age.
Hammer’s thoughts and examples had a significant impact on me in future experience with those I was responsible for, worked for, or negotiated with. In exploring those thoughts and that approach to others, I felt that I understood my own motivations, both personally and as a practicing Objectivist.
But I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with other Objectivists about what do they see as their motivations, where-ever that drives them to. So what do you think?
I am a chemical engineer and a materials scientist/engineer, and have recently moved somewhat toward biomedical engineering. Here is why.
When I was four, I was prescribed tetracycline as the fourth medication of choice to kill a particularly nasty disease. Tetracycline killed the illness, but a year later, I was playing cards with my father when Dan Rather said, "This just in. Do not give tetracycline to children who don't have their permanent teeth in yet." I had just gotten my first permanent tooth, and it was quite yellow from the very persistent tetracycline. In fact, every visible tooth in my mouth came in yellow. My parents paid for a lot of dental work as a result. I am quite grateful. When I went to the dentist at age 5, I was fascinated when he mixed the two parts to make a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composite, now popularly known as bone cement. Now the era in biomaterials has gone from replacement to regenerative medicine, and I have gone with that movement.
I am a child of the Depression. Born in a year where the birthrate was lower than job prospects. As a child, I watched my parents finish the meal that as a picky eater, I left over. Money loomed large in my mind. I was on track to becoming a musician, and eventually a composer. However, at the age of 20, I fell in love, got married and had two kids and while I could make money as a musician, it required traveling and odd hours. My wife worked at secretarial jobs, Grannies baby sat, but I had to finally come to the realization that I needed to make more money and be around my boys as they grew. Took up my second favorite passion, photography. I decided to put everything I had into that endeavor and eventually worked my way into my own business, and from there, over the years into related businesses until I decided to retire. My wife was no slouch, either. She became a prize-winning photographer and became my partner. She also was a CPA without certification which helped enormously. More than anything, Objectivism helped me to maintain my work ethic and allowed me to cope with adversity without giving in to it. As an aside, I did get a retirement job teaching music for a number of years.
and help her teach. . small world!!! -- j
.
The enjoyment is getting harder, as I have to ignore much of the insanity of our country today. Being in the Gulch brings me great enjoyment and laughs and fun and the relief of being around people who share my values.
When I was younger, my motivation was to achieve. And I did, and do.
I realize that I have made many decisions in my life to secure the basis for a good income, but that I have never yet made a life decision per se, "to make more money". I want to live in wonderful times, so I poke around, creating moments of wonder.
And thus has lain the rest.
Jan
our times here more interesting;;; Thank You!!! -- j
.
I didn't read AS until AFTER I semi-retired, (when I actually had time to read for pleasure!) so I can't say it factored into my decision. But after I read it, it did seem to me that in my own small way, I had "gone Galt".
* You cannot fake reality...
* Waste not, want not.
* Fill the unforgiving minute / With sixty seconds' worth of distance run ...
* Winners never quit, and quitters never win.
* Don't give or take the unearned.
* Deal with others as equals until proven otherwise.
* Change what you cannot accept; avoid what you cannot change; accept what you cannot avoid.
* Respect the rights of others as you want your own rights to be respected.
* It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
* It is better to forgive and overcome than to brood over old wrongs and keep old resentments festering.
* Become, ere life is flown, / Not a stumbling block but a stepping stone.
* Something worth doing is worth doing well; something not worth doing is not worth doing well.
* Find a need and fill it.
* Whatever you do, make it good and true and beautiful.
* Look for the best in people.
* Not all investments pay off. Don't risk more than you can afford to lose, including in relationships.
* Don't waste time arguing with immutably unreasonable people.
* To thine own self be true. Build your self on truth.
* In any compromise with evil, only evil will win.
* Don't allow violence into your life.
* Keep a full context. (Check the premises.)
* Consider the consequences.
* Never stop learning.
* Causality, identity, non-contradiction.
* Honesty, integrity, honor.
* Energize the positive; eliminate the negative.
* Find the harmonic balance. It's the key to happiness.
Having a manufacturing facility i have the capability to manufacture many things, however, if I can not improve upon a product made by some other company i will never make it, but if i can improve upon such a product I may choose to make it. Being able to make a better product does not necessarily measn that it will sell profitably as I have learned, but I will always look for a new product for me, so I am never without motivation. That said the government doesn't help, actually they are a pain in the butt, but that is for another day.
I contend that people form their value systems in
their youth, before age 20 or so, and adjust them
as they go along -- primarily due to shocks which
hurt them.
I was lucky. . I found Rand when I was 15 and fell
head-over-heels for her. . as I have matured, my
view of life has been shocked a bunch. . but the
foundation is solid. . be positive, but real. . love
heartily, with humor. . Make Every Hit Count.
and, good enough is perfect. . the few whom I love
know it. . frequently. . I vote with my bucks and
my actions, so here goes!!! -- j
.
friends and family, of learning, of comfort with and
without others, of growing in understanding.
Thank You for this post, Zen!!! -- j
.
High school...wanted the diploma with good grades to get into nursing school to begin earning my living! When earning had to get continuing education units. As I loved learning new things, always had many more units than necessary. Married with kids...worked in volunteer jobs to great satisfaction. Taught kids to swim for 16 years.
Now, in retirement, travel, camping learning about this great country of ours.
My greatest pleasure now is learning something new every day.
of our little home, in the 50s. . some of the blocks
are in the home I'm sitting in right now. . small world. -- j
.
My high school aggressively promoted the idea that a prestigious college were [use of subjunctive is intentional] the key to success and happiness and that they were the ticket to get into a prestigious college. I realized later that they were showing only one side of the story. I came to think that the people aggressively promoting this were just after their own gain. They were salesman, I thought, aggressively promoting their own product/service, with the burden being on the consumer to seek alternatives. When I read Fountainhead, though, I changed my mind again. I realized some people just want a reaction. They just want to be involved with something important in some way, not as a way to get money so they can go live their dream. They don't have a dream. They're like addicts who get a high from attention or reaction from others. On some level they mean well, but on another level they get a sick pleasure out of teenagers thinking the institutions they represent hold the key to a happy life.
Sometimes I still have vestiges of those old incorrect thoughts about all the value being in esteemed institutions, i.e. The Dean in Fountainhead. My understanding of Objectivism, though, makes me stop and say: 1) I am the one and only decider of what's valuable to me, and 2) empiricism and reason are the *only* decider of what's real in the world. The opinions of the most highly esteemed people are nothing next to those.
As Rand said, you have one fundamental choice - to live or not. If you choose to live then the rest of Objectivist ethics follows. It is the first and core decision.
The rest is up to each individual to decide the particular values that they wish to seek and keep in their life. I am not sure you can make a general statement about that bit beyond what is already in objectivist ethics as far as specific virtues and motivating general values go.
When I die it goes with me unless...I pass it on to someone younger. My theory of immortality.
I am mission-motivated.
I dug deep as a young man to arrive at a v1.0 of a statement of personal mission - that fundamental direction or purpose (analogous to essential characteristic in concept definition) that most fully harnesses and focuses all of my strengths, talents, experiences (including painful ones) and interests toward that place and or people on the Planet where I can generate the greatest total value.
That primary personal mission statement can be translated to an aligned, integrated mission statement for any area of my life (e.g., professional or business mission statement).
As I discover - grow, change, accumulate more knowledge and information about myself and the world around me and watch emerging reality reveal what simply hasn't happened yet, I evolve and refine that mission.
My mission has been through a number of iterations an revisions as it continually informs my choices of direction, action and attitude, as much as can can stay awake to it moment to moment.
Today, I find my passion, purpose and sense of clarity confidence and meaning in my life mission.