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The Allegory of Motivation

Release date:

2020-04-09

External evaluation systems are often hereditary within families, but you can absolutely break free from that—start cultivating your own internal system of assessment today.

A group of children was playing noisily in front of an elderly man’s door, their shouts echoing loudly. After a few days, the老人 could no longer stand it.

So, he came out and handed each child 25 cents, saying, "You’ve made this place so lively—I feel like I’ve been rejuvenated a bit. This little gift is my way of saying thank you."

The children were thrilled and showed up again the next day, as always bustling about and playing happily. When the elderly man came out once more, he handed each child 15 cents. Explaining that he had no income of his own, he could only afford to give a little less. But even 15 cents was enough to keep the kids grinning from ear to ear as they walked away.

On the third day, the old man gave each child only 5 cents.

The children erupted in anger, shouting, "Only 5 cents a day—do you have any idea how hard we work?" They vowed to the old man that they’d never play for him again!

Psychological commentary:

Who are you "playing" for?

This fable offers a deeper answer to the Apple Tree Parable: why the apple tree would sever its own branches—it’s not "playing" for its own sake.

Human motivation comes in two forms: intrinsic and extrinsic. When we act out of intrinsic motivation, we are truly in control of ourselves. But if external factors drive us instead, we end up being swayed by outside influences—and ultimately become their slaves.

In this fable, the old man’s scheme is simple: he transforms the children’s intrinsic motivation—playing "for their own joy"—into an extrinsic one—"playing for the sake of earning pennies." And by carefully controlling this external incentive—the pennies—he ends up manipulating the children’s behavior. Doesn’t the old man in the story seem a lot like your boss or supervisor? And aren’t those pennies just like your salary, bonuses, and other various external rewards?

If we use external evaluations as our reference point, our emotions can easily become unstable. That’s because external factors are beyond our control—they tend to stray from our internal expectations, leading to dissatisfaction and constant complaints. These negative emotions, such as frustration and resentment, cause us pain. And to ease that pain, we often end up lowering our own internal expectations—most commonly by putting less effort into our work.

The primary reason a person develops an external evaluation system is that their parents tend to exert control over them. Parents often rely heavily on verbal rewards and punishments, as well as material incentives, to manage their children—without truly paying attention to the kids' own intrinsic motivations. Over time, this neglect causes children to lose sight of their original, inner drive, making them overly concerned with how others perceive their actions. For instance, when they’re in school, they forget the initial reasons for learning—curiosity and the sheer joy of acquiring knowledge. Later, once they enter the workforce, they no longer remember what initially motivated them to work: the satisfaction of personal growth. Instead, external factors like their boss’s approval and fluctuations in income become the main sources of both happiness and frustration in their professional lives.

Remember: External evaluation systems are often hereditary within families, but you can absolutely break free from them—start cultivating your own internal system of assessment today, turning learning and work into "play for yourself."