تمرین مکالمه

Motivation Is Free

The gods of Greek mythology could be brutal when angered.

Who could be brutal? The gods of Greek mythology could be brutal. When could they be brutal? They could be brutal when angered.

Of all the punishments given by the gods, the one given to Sisyphus stands out above the rest.

Of all the punishments given by the gods, does the one given to Sisyphus go unnoticed? No, of all the punishments given by the gods, the one given to Sisyphus does not go unnoticed. Of all the punishments given by the gods, the one given to Sisyphus stands out above the rest.

Sisyphus was a king and a trickster.

Was Sisyphus a king? Yes, Sisyphus was a king. What else was Sisyphus?

Sisyphus was a trickster.

He was so clever that he actually cheated death – twice!

Was he clever? Yes, he was clever. What did he cheat? He cheated death.

How many times did he cheat death? He cheated death twice.

As punishment for his hubris, he was forced to push an enormous boulder up a mountain for eternity.

What was he punished for? He was punished for his hubris. What was he forced to push up a mountain? He was forced to push an enormous boulder up a mountain. For how long was he forced to push the boulder up a mountain? He was forced to push the boulder up a mountain for eternity.

Again and again, he would struggle under the weight of the rock only to watch it roll back down.

What would he struggle under the weight of? He would struggle under the weight of the rock. Did he watch it go to the top? No, he did not watch it go to the top. He watched it roll back down. Did this happen often? Yes, it happened again and again.

The punishment was a recipe for meaningless frustration.

What was the punishment a recipe for? The punishment was a recipe for meaningless frustration.

According to behavioral economist Dan Ariely’s research, the Greek gods must have known something about the human psyche.

Who is a behavioral economist? Dan Ariely is a behavioral economist. Did the Greek gods know something about the human psyche? Yes, the Greek gods must have known something about the human psyche.

Ariely says that money is not as motivating as we might think.

According to Ariely, what is not as motivating as we might think? According to Ariely, money is not as motivating as we might think.

He makes the point that people run marathons and climb mountains all the time and they do it all for free.

What do people do all the time? People run marathons and climb mountains all the time. Do they do it all for free? Yes, they do it all for free.

These are grueling experiences.

What kind of experiences are these? These are grueling experiences.

Somehow a series of miserable moments becomes a desirable overall experience.

Does this series of miserable moments become an undesirable overall experience? No, this series of miserable moments does not become an undesirable overall experience. This series of miserable moments becomes a desirable overall experience.

As Ariely explored this mystery, he found that meaningful work, challenging work and work that is acknowledged motivates us more than money.

Who explored this mystery? Ariely explored this mystery. Did he find that pointless work motivates us more than money? No, he did not find that pointless work motivates us more than money. He found that meaningful work, challenging work and work that is acknowledged motivates us more than money.

In one experiment, Ariely paid people to build very simple toys using legos.

What did Ariely pay people to build? Ariely paid people to build very simple toys using legos.

The amount they were paid decreased with each toy they built.

What decreased? The amount they were paid decreased. How often did it decrease? It decreased with each toy they built.

As you might expect, the participants eventually stopped building them when the money became too small.

Did the participants keep building them indefinitely? No, the participants did not keep building them indefinitely. The participants eventually stopped building them. When did they stop building them? They stopped building them when the money became too small.

Next, Ariely started disassembling the toys right in front of the participants while they were building their next toy.

Did Ariely start disassembling the toys in private? No, Ariely did not start disassembling the toys in private. Ariely started disassembling the toys right in front of the participants while they were building their next toy.

He did this to show them that their job had no meaning.

Why did he do this? He did this to show them that their job had no meaning.

After seeing the futility of their work, they were much quicker to quit despite the money they were receiving.

What did they see? They saw the futility of their work. Were they much slower to quit? No, they were not much slower to quit. They were much quicker to quit. Was this despite the money they were receiving? Yes, this was despite the money they were receiving.

This was true even for the participants that enjoyed working with legos.

Was this true even for the participants that enjoyed working with legos?

Yes, this was true even for the participants that enjoyed working with legos.

Ariely says this shows that meaningful work is more motivating than money and enjoyment.

Does Ariely say this shows that meaningful work is more motivating than money and fame? No, Ariely does not say that this shows that meaningful work is more motivating than money and fame. Ariely says this shows that meaningful work is more motivating than money and enjoyment.

Ariely also discovered that challenging work was motivating.

What else did Ariely discover was motivating? Ariely also discovered that challenging work was motivating.

In another experiment, participants who were not given instructions on how to complete a task valued their work much more than those who were given instructions.

Who valued the work much more? Participants that were not given instructions on how to complete a task valued their work much more. Who did they value their work much more than? They valued their work much more than those who were given instructions.

Acknowledgment in the workplace is important for motivation.

Is acknowledgment in the workplace unimportant for motivation? No, acknowledgment in the workplace is not unimportant for motivation.

Acknowledgment in the workplace is important for motivation.

In yet another experiment, Ariely gave participants some paperwork.

What did he give participants? He gave participants some paperwork.

Once they completed the work, they handed it in.

When did they hand it in? Once they completed the work, they handed it in.

It was either ignored and put into a pile, acknowledged with a superficial ‘uh-huh’ or put directly into a shredder.

Could it be ignored and put into a pile? Yes, it could be ignored and put into a pile. Could it be ignored with a superficial ‘uh-huh?’ No, it could not be ignored with a superficial ‘uh-huh.’ It could be acknowledged with a superficial ‘uh-huh.’ Could it be put directly into a shredder? Yes, it could be put directly into a shredder.

The results were similar to the toy building experiment, but they found something else interesting.

What were the results similar to? The results were similar to the toy building experiment. Did they find something else interesting? Yes, they found something else interesting.

Ignoring the person’s work was nearly as demotivating as shredding it!

What was nearly as demotivating as shredding it? Ignoring the person’s work was nearly as demotivating as shredding it!

Humans are complicated creatures.

Who are complicated creatures? Humans are complicated creatures.

What motivates one person may not motivate another.

Does what motivates one person motivate everyone? No, what motivates one person does not motivate everyone. What motivates one person may not motivate another.

But if Ariely is correct, work that is meaningful and challenging, with even a minor amount of acknowledgment can go a long way toward a more satisfying and productive work life.

Can work that is meaningful and challenging, even with a minor amount of acknowledgment go a long way toward a more satisfying and productive work life? Yes, work that is meaningful and challenging, with even a minor amount of acknowledgment can go a long way toward a more satisfying and productive work life.