Most people in this world, psychologically, can be divided into two groups. There is that minority which is challenged by opportunity and willing to work hard to achieve something, and the majority, which really does not care all that much… Psychologists have tried to penetrate the mystery of this curious dichotomy. Is the need to achieve (or the absence of it) an accident, is it hereditary, or is it the result of the environment? Is it a single, isolatable human motive or a combination of motives-- the desire for wealth, power, fame? Most important of all, is there some technique that could give this will to achieve to people, even whole societies, who do not have it now?
David McClelland, 1966 “That urge to achieve.”
I liked this statement enough to write it down in my notes and post it here.
3 comments:
That's a great response. In our section someone wondered if it would be desirable (or even possible) to have everyone striving for fame-power-money, which is a pretty funny question.
anon post
reminds me of a scene (a particularly negative one unfortunately) in Waking Life:
"...the answer to that can be found in this question: Which is the more fundamental human trait: fear, or laziness?"
though on a lighter note, it also reminds me of this tshirt slogan:
"There are 10 types of people; those who understand binary and those who do not."
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