Okay, it's not as catchy of a title as How Breaking Your Baker's Window Isn't Helping The Economy, but this article has a monkey in it, so I think that more than makes up for it.
On a slightly overcast day, some researcher were letting a monkey paint. The monkey was enjoying his time painting, just the act alone made the monkey continue. The monkey also spent a while painting too.
The researchers gave the monkey a reward after the monkey finished a painting. The monkey, as you can imagine, was ever more elated. The monkey painted another, and another, and was quite a happy chap.
But...
Soon thereafter, the monkey's paintings were less and less detailed and the monkey spent less and less time painting them. The monkey even though was getting these rewards after each painting, wasn't enjoying his time like he was.
Why is this?
Painting gave him enjoyment and rewards gave him enjoyment. So what kind of paradox is this? Why isn't he happy anymore, shouldn't he be even more happy for getting rewards after painting?
After the researchers gave him a reward for completing an activity he likes already, the monkey's focus shifted over to the reward, away from the activity of painting. The monkey spent less time on the paintings because he'll get to the reward quicker that way. Painting was already a joyous activity for the monkey, so reward or not, he was going to paint. The rewards made painting a job and after it becoming a job, he was in it just for the reward.
This isn't just a story about a painting monkey, but about our own perceptions of work. We feel that work needs to be incentivised; get this reward for doing that. But what if the work is the reward? What if work is intrinsically rewarding already and we are unknowingly stripping the fun away from work? Is this why we live in a society that thinks work is punishment? And yes, I have also fallen into this trap before and I think everyone has. It is not a fun place to be and it's not a productive place to be either.
When work is intrinsically interesting and fun, we are more able to get into a state of optimal workflow, you can learn more about that in our podcast https://youtu.be/4cbOk2fKKfo. This optimal workflow increases your ability to work and also gives you enjoyment from doing so. Why do you think people go rock climbing for instance? Like think about that, there is probably an easier way to get to the top than climbing for hours in such a dangerous scenario. But people do it anyways, because it gets them into a state of flow, for short. They pushed their limit on what they can do and in doing so, makes them a better person.
When do you feel that you are in this state of flow? Are you rewarded by external rewards like money for doing it, or do you just feel internally rewarded?
Back to the monkey, when he was without external rewards, we can assume he was in a state of flow. So he felt internally rewarded for painting, that's why he continues to paint.
Be the monkey before the rewards and increase activities that produce internal rewards and not just external rewards. There is also a balance between internal and external rewards. For instance, if you have a job and feel good about what you do, then you probably meet the balance well. If you do not enjoy what you do, then consider what can increase your ability to flow in what you already do. People in the worst of situations can find the ability to flow, even in places like concentration camps. So what can you do to make work the reward?
P.S. If your work is as bad as a concentration camp, I would recommend a different job.
Please let me know what you think, I need praise from you! Like and do all those social things, because I like when you do that.
Sources: Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Bold by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler.
On a slightly overcast day, some researcher were letting a monkey paint. The monkey was enjoying his time painting, just the act alone made the monkey continue. The monkey also spent a while painting too.
The researchers gave the monkey a reward after the monkey finished a painting. The monkey, as you can imagine, was ever more elated. The monkey painted another, and another, and was quite a happy chap.
But...
Soon thereafter, the monkey's paintings were less and less detailed and the monkey spent less and less time painting them. The monkey even though was getting these rewards after each painting, wasn't enjoying his time like he was.
Why is this?
Painting gave him enjoyment and rewards gave him enjoyment. So what kind of paradox is this? Why isn't he happy anymore, shouldn't he be even more happy for getting rewards after painting?
After the researchers gave him a reward for completing an activity he likes already, the monkey's focus shifted over to the reward, away from the activity of painting. The monkey spent less time on the paintings because he'll get to the reward quicker that way. Painting was already a joyous activity for the monkey, so reward or not, he was going to paint. The rewards made painting a job and after it becoming a job, he was in it just for the reward.
This isn't just a story about a painting monkey, but about our own perceptions of work. We feel that work needs to be incentivised; get this reward for doing that. But what if the work is the reward? What if work is intrinsically rewarding already and we are unknowingly stripping the fun away from work? Is this why we live in a society that thinks work is punishment? And yes, I have also fallen into this trap before and I think everyone has. It is not a fun place to be and it's not a productive place to be either.
When work is intrinsically interesting and fun, we are more able to get into a state of optimal workflow, you can learn more about that in our podcast https://youtu.be/4cbOk2fKKfo. This optimal workflow increases your ability to work and also gives you enjoyment from doing so. Why do you think people go rock climbing for instance? Like think about that, there is probably an easier way to get to the top than climbing for hours in such a dangerous scenario. But people do it anyways, because it gets them into a state of flow, for short. They pushed their limit on what they can do and in doing so, makes them a better person.
When do you feel that you are in this state of flow? Are you rewarded by external rewards like money for doing it, or do you just feel internally rewarded?
Back to the monkey, when he was without external rewards, we can assume he was in a state of flow. So he felt internally rewarded for painting, that's why he continues to paint.
Be the monkey before the rewards and increase activities that produce internal rewards and not just external rewards. There is also a balance between internal and external rewards. For instance, if you have a job and feel good about what you do, then you probably meet the balance well. If you do not enjoy what you do, then consider what can increase your ability to flow in what you already do. People in the worst of situations can find the ability to flow, even in places like concentration camps. So what can you do to make work the reward?
P.S. If your work is as bad as a concentration camp, I would recommend a different job.
Please let me know what you think, I need praise from you! Like and do all those social things, because I like when you do that.
Sources: Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Bold by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler.
