Driving Force

I've been thinking about motivation for a few weeks... just a quiet, back of my mind kind of thing.

Things keep popping up and drawing me back to the question of why we do what we do - and whether some answers to that question are more ok than others.

A chat with two of most intuitive people I know - both big thinkers - about politics and power. Why do people run for public office, and what role does ego play in that decision? Is it ok to want "power" if you're planning to use that power to do good, heal the world... you know, generally fulfill all those idealistic dreams that filled your diaries when you were young [well, younger than you are now].

We talked about Barack Obama, about Bill Clinton - about the ways in which dedicated, passionate people negotiate wanting the capacity to effect change: for the sake of helping others; for the sake of making yourself feel good. Somehow I feel that a certain aspect of ego is required if we are going to make a real impact on the world - or even just on the people around us. The kind of ego that makes you put yourself forward; that causes you to believe that you are the person who can get the job done.

At school we had it drummed into us that 'leadership' was really all about 'service'... so maybe motivation does matter.

And then today, driving home, and they're chatting to two Melbourne architects who've taken up the 'sustainable design' challenge. One was clearly 'greener' than the other; he talked about corporate social responsibility, about the global consequences of local actions. The other talked about his hotel - the 'greenest in the world' in terms of economics: costs and savings. He admitted that part of the motivation for building the green hotel was to do with cost-saving and marketing... attracting customers who want to spend their $$ on a few nights in trendy carbon-friendly style.

So does the motivation matter? Both architects developed projects that give something back and 'the planet will thank them for their cooperation'. [Sorry. Childhood tv flashback]. I guess at least the second guy was honest about the mixture of forces that were driving his firm - yes we want to help the planet but it's also a catchy advertising strategy and it's saving us money as well.

Hmm. Just not sure.

And I guess it makes me think about what motivates me too... and the mixture of being a perfectionist, loving what I do and straight-up competitive drive that gets me out of bed every morning.

I guess that's all from me. Does what we achieve matter more than why we achieve it? Ben Harper comes to mind: "the unfinished work of our heroes must truly be our own..."