To Motivate or Not to Demotivate

I enjoyed reading your article on Motivation vs Demotivation. While I think I understand your interpretation of motivation, I could not disagree more with your statement that "The idea that you cannot motivate a person is wrong". You definitely cannot motivate a person. We are already wired internally to either be motivated to do or not do various things.

Herzberg tells you that the factors that create motivation are intrinsic. Where he says "These intrinsic factors answer people's deep-seated need for growth and achievement" He is telling you that motivation comes from within. It is not something that any external source can change. While you can create an environment where someone may respond, the motivation to respond was already there.

For example, how many others have responded to your article? For what reasons?

I responded, not because you or your article motivated me to respond; but because I am already wired that way. Your article speaks to an area that I have much interest in and I am motivated to set things right (my view of "right" anyway). ;-) It is an intrinsic value of mine. You created a condition and I responded.

You wrote a very interesting article in an area that interested me and I was already motivated. You did not motivate me to act in an area where I would not normally have acted. You do not have that power. (Please don't be offended, nobody has that power.)

Your motivational balance sheet may be a helpful tool to create an environment that may impact my performance. However, I cannot credit your balance sheet with "motivating" me to perform. I was already pre-wired to perform in certain conditions and you get credit for creating the conditions; not for my motivation to perform when those conditions exist.

Can you make a person happy? No you cannot. Can you make someone laugh? Maybe - how funny are you?

Even if you are successful at making someone laugh, you have not made them happy. Laughter is a physical response, happiness is not physical nor a response; it is an internal choice of how to "be". Just because I laugh does not mean I am happy. A good comedian can make me laugh (who am I kidding - a bad comedian can make ME laugh). However, I have already chosen to be happy regardless of whatever external stimuli are presented.

I would like to summarize this in programmer language by just saying that a higher being wrote the motivation code within each of us. This code consists of many if / then type scenarios and when the if / then conditions are present, the code does what it is programmed to do. You cannot change the code as you do not have the password.

I hope I have written this well enough for you to capture not only my point of view but also the spirit of it as I enjoyed reading and responding to your article. I am pre-wired for such things.

I will give you this - You inspired me! (Can you inspire someone? Hmmm - that's probably another article)

Have a FANTASTIC day! (If you are motivated to do so - no pressure)

when clicking reply on a comment, the reply should go under it. "word" was a reply on the first comment.

Anyway, why would I want to do programming in a large open office space - I'd rather share a room with a team member. I need silence to focus.