From: Russell Blackford (rblackford@hotmail.com)
Date: Sat Jul 07 2001 - 18:32:08 MDT
Spike Jones said
How many of us would ever have bothered
>to learn programming if not to advance our careers? How many of
>those who would have programmed anyway would have gotten as
>good at it as we are had not it advanced our careers? Think of
>poverty as a drill sergeant: in your face for sure, but he ultimately
>benefits you by teaching you to get with the program.
This sounds like a very pessimistic view to me. I certainly have not been
motivated by a fear of poverty in developing my various skills and areas of
expertise as far as I can take them. I am motivated by developing myself for
its own sake. I want to test my limits, to go beyond those walls that I
regularly hit, and even to get sufficient abilities to solve the difficult
problems that interest me. Sure, it's nice if I can make some serious money
as a by-product.
I'm prepared to admit that I've been motivated over the years by a hunger
for fame and glory (a hunger which remains largely unsatisfied, alas). But
decisions I've made merely to avoid *poverty* - often meaning obtaining
competence at things that the labour market has valued at the particular
time - have held back my self-development more than accelerated it.
Here's to the party of joy and freedom!
Russell
==================
Russell Blackford
writer philosopher lawyer transhumanist
Active Member: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Member: Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA)
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