Here I discuss Chapter 2 from Upside of Irrationality, The Meaning of Labor: What Legos Can Teach Us about the Joy of Work.
Hi, I’m Dan Ariely. I do research in behavioral economics and try to describe it in plain language. These findings have enriched my life, and my hope is that they will do the same for you.
The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves
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The Upside of Irrationality, explores some positive and some negative ways that irrationality plays out in our lives.
When we make decisions we think we're in control. But are we?
Excerpts and Videos
or we can train people to find meaning in their well placed efforts. is this possible?
Definitely an interesting idea, but I think this assumes that there is something wrong with where people find meaning. Who are we to tell people otherwise?
Keep on enjoying with David in his work; Joy is the special
Motivation force which makes our lives worth of living instead of “Sisyphus condition”.
Have a joyful and creative day!
I find your Sysiphos metophor very interesting and it makes me think about Camus’ „mythe de Sysiphe“ in which Sysiphus can be seen as happy. Although the work he is doing, does not make any sense, Sysiphus creates his own meaning.
So, despite the lack of reward they might still create a „different“ meaning and continue their presumably senseless job. What about those people? There are actually quite a number of people which are aware that their job is boring, unrewarding etc. and yet they go along with it. Do they continue because they have some hope, that one day in the future, they will be rewarded? Or might they create their meaning just outside of their profession?
I think those you’re talking about are doing a comfortable job, which might not be their ideal, and might be pretty boring, but I think they’ve already sort of yielded to their fate, like it’s the best they can do, and there’s no better job for them. So I think, they continue because their comfort level with this familiar job, the environment, and everything related to it exceeds the boringness. And even if they knowingly find their job too boring, it’s the simple fear of change that’s keeping them from actually doing something more meaningful.
It is interesting how people motivate themselves to do their work. When they close their eyes and concentrate before they begin to work on something, do they imagine in their head a sack of money or the purpose of their work?
I wonder if this has some implications in academic work. Together with the “IKEA effect” I suspect that some scientists/academics (not on the field of social economics of course
) don’t want to see their years of labour destroyed by a converse study or theory. Are all of the academics really set to follow wherever the argument may lead? I had this idea recently when I heard about the quarrel of the climate scientists – as well as the hatred that was brought against Antony Flew upon his turn against atheism.
I think such a thing is difficult to study of course. But I guess that scientists also want to avert seeing their precious work disassembled in front of their eyes.
What do you think?
I just bought the book and can’t wait to read it. Hopefully can finish by month end so that share your book with my colleague.
You sit next to guys on the plane and get’round to discussing your sexual fantasies!!? I’d move seat if that happened to me.
Anyway, just started the book, and it’s great. Glad you mention Khaneman (hope the late Tversky not forgotten either). If only there could be more Good Israelis like you and they.
You had me worried in the Intro that you would look weird after the 70% burns. Glad to see they patched you up nicely! So maybe here’s another psycho-econ thought: Why do attractive extrovert female presenters get so much work on tv? Obviously the producers like them, but what’s the usp?
I enjoyed your video and included a link to it in my blog at http://ohsas18001expert.com/2011/07/19/irrational-decisions-impact-ohsms-implementation/.
I also enjoyed your book. Many of the concepts you discuss are important for occupational health and safety management systems – particularly the impact of social norms in the workplace. You can’t persuade individuals to use personal protective equipment if the social norm is that one is “not cool” if you actually wear it.
Most of the jobs have a little meaningful tasks. Its also hard to keep all the time the employees motivated. And many times the emplyees are inverse motivated by revenge, because nobody paid attention to the work. It can be iteresting in make a survey about how much of the errors or failures in work ara about it.
So would an off-duty garbage man be less likely to litter? More likely to pick up someone else’s litter?