Motivation, part 2

"If you're lucky, you've had a Dan Green in your life. He's that special coach, the one who cussed the loudest, pushed the hardest, cared the most."

Cussed the loudest?

Pushed the hardest?

To do what? Make me perform better?

What emotion undergirds such tactics? Fear. Even in the name of caring. I will intimidate you into performing better becasue you are afraid that I'll curse at you. Or like Bobby Knight in one famous incident, choke you. Because I care for you. Want you to do your best.

Do we need abuse from others to do our best?

Darth Vader provoked Luke Skywalker's anger. This caused young Luke to up his effort, to fight harder--to do better. Mr. Vader did so intentionally because he knew that the anger pushed Luke to the Dark Side.

Yes, there is motivation there. The motivation of the Dark Side. All rewards and punishments and manipulation are motivators from the Dark Side, highjacking our true selves, our true desires. They stop us from hearing our calling, the inner voice, the inner motivation that will last for a lifetime. The chance we have to work with joy rather than with a sense of drudgery.