Incentive is the only human motivation

[tman_ndsu08]

Perfect example.

Today my step mom called the city to have the road plowed. But since we live in a culdesac, they wouldn't come through.

So finally today (three days after the now) they came through with a pickup which does nothing.


But they could care less. They're the city. They run the whole show around here. If you don't like it, who cares?

They have no incentive to do a good job. None.

[someguymp3]

Do you not have elected representitives?

[tman_ndsu08]

Yes. So what?

The next moron they put in there won't have an incentive to improve things.

[someguymp3]

Well, if the person who is ultimately accountable fears for their re-election then that is incentive

[tman_ndsu08]

That's only an incentive to get the most campaign money and to smear the other guys who are running.

[someguymp3]

Maybe being pro-active and setting up a pressure group would help, rather than moaning

[tman_ndsu08]

No. It wouldn't

What incentive does the government have to listen to a pressure group?

[Morgan_Freeman]

Well, if the person who is ultimately accountable fears for their re-election then that is incentive

That's only an incentive to please 51% of the electorate. The other 49% gets fucked.

[Jack]

While I see your point and empathize with it in several contexts, I think "Incentive is the only human motivation" is a bit overstated. And "incentive" is a rather ill-defined word. Humans are motivated for a number of reasons, and all could perhaps be referred to as incentives, but then all you're really saying is that all humans do everything for a reason. No shit. :)
You are speaking of a specific motivation for a certain group of people (if one can honestly use that term in reference to bureaucrats), a topic with which I agree with you.

[another day]

Of course...I'm tired of these silly assumptions that humans are divinely beings or somehow purely good. We are animals fighting to survive, of course people don't care abotu something unless it affects them in a positive or negative way. It's totally natural.

[tman_ndsu08]

While I see your point and empathize with it in several contexts, I think "Incentive is the only human motivation" is a bit overstated. And "incentive" is a rather ill-defined word. Humans are motivated for a number of reasons, and all could perhaps be referred to as incentives, but then all you're really saying is that all humans do everything for a reason. No shit. :)
You are speaking of a specific motivation for a certain group of people (if one can honestly use that term in reference to bureaucrats), a topic with which I agree with you.

I'm saying that altruism is a fantasy.

[Jack]

Pure altruism without thought to reward most likely is. Even Mother Theresa did what she did in hopes of an eternal reward for both her and those she helped.