this post? not pretty.

In my library science management class, the teacher’s notes for this week, include a mention of the Theory X/Y debate. She writes, “Process theories consider one’s expectations and preferences. In my view [Theory X/Theory Y discussions] are a bit outdated. I’ve rarely met anyone who wants to admit they embrace Theory X attitudes–perhaps there’s one of you in this class, but I doubt it.” After reading the Theory X and Theory Y outlines, I have to agree that I would never want to embrace the majority of Theory X, however, I do kind of tend towards hating work.

#1 of Theory X is “Work is inherently distasteful to most people,” while the #1 of Theory Y is, “The expenditure of physical and mental effort in work is as natural as play or rest. The average human being does not inherently dislike work; depending on controllable conditions, work may be a source of satisfaction (and will be voluntarily performed) or a punishment (and will be avoided, if possible).”

I don’t know if it has to do with my Gen-X apathy, my Gen-Y belief that I’m owed something (I was born on the cusp AND I hate labels), or the way I was raised (spoiled), but I do sort of find work “distasteful”. I still do it, but I mostly try to avoid it out of an inherent laziness. I certainly don’t see work as is “natural as play or rest”–it’s definitely something that I find more taxing than enjoyable. I used to say (along with my best friend) that we just needed to find a job that we loved and then we would like working. However I’ve lost hope in finding something I love doing enough to do it “voluntarily”. My friend still has faith, which I find remarkably deluded at this point (though still endearingly adorable, of course).

In point of fact, I’d say that no one does work just for the satisfaction of doing it. The whole chapter is about motivation and basically it’s motivators which make us do work–not our own free will. Even if someone’s motivation is just a pat on the back at the end of the day–that’s still a motivating factor which indicates a lack of volunteerism. Selfless do-gooders MAYBE treat AIDS in Africa or teach agriculture in South America out of the goodness of their hearts, but they’ve probably got their motivators too.

In the summary at the end of the this week’s chapter, the authors write, “Motivation is inseparable from an individual’s goals, values, psychic needs, and life experiences. What motivates one person may completely fail to strike a responsive chord in another.” Maybe it’s not that I haven’t found my perfect position yet, but that I have yet to discover the motivator which speaks to my individuality. Maybe someday I’ll find it and a job will no longer be just a job. Then again, maybe my current motivator which keeps me looking is to delude myself into believing that.