The Psychology of Human Performance
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This week on The Larb I’m taking with Ray Heffernan about the purposeful accident, a concept that encourages us to create for the sake of creating. It is an idea that suggests that we go out on purpose to create our work for no other reason than to create, then see what happens.
I was with my uncle yesterday – he loves to talk. We got chatting about work initially then the conversation moved to the question; what happens when we die? He’s in his late sixties I think. By no means old, but like my parents he believes it to be so. I think in our culture, as soon as grandchildren come alone we begin to feel our time is up. Why is that?
With the advance of artificial intelligence many jobs you and I now do will be lost to more efficient machines. But it might not all be bad. Imagine receiving a regular income from the state to pursue your artistic endeavours at your leisure. No more stress and pressure to work for a living. Your sense of self-worth is no longer linked to income or role in the workforce. Idealistic? Maybe.
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When Did Work Become A Curse? Why is work such a drag for so many? Why is it that Sunday night is a dread in anticipation of Monday morning and why does Monday morning signal the start of another dreary week doing things we don’t like doing? This week on The Larb I’m looking at how work became such a curse on so many people, entire societies in fact.
It’s daytime, almost 4pm and there’s no one else here, it’s just me at my desk. Then the conversation starts. Does it ever really stop I wonder. I can’t say exactly what triggers it, or maybe I can but I don’t like to admit it. But one thing I do know is I’m alone, there’s nobody else around. “What are you doing here?”, it asks.
Wish you had the courage to quit your job? Is it satisfying, fulfilling, challenging in a positive way? Is your job giving you everything you want for the time and energy that you give it? If it is, then great, keep doing it. If not, then don’t worry, sure keep doing it. Keep pushing forward for that raise, or promotion and who knows, maybe it will get better.
The Washerwoman is a little story about the friendship of two women at either ends of life and their conversation at the washing line one late Spring afternoon. It’s a little story of a realisation of greater things, a gentle reminder to ourselves of what often lies hidden in plain sight.
