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Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

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Re: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

#21
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah-- I was just thinking that if every lecture in school was this way, how could I not stay engaged and absorb it?

Because if every lecture was that way, then that style would be the norm , and therefore almost by definition you probably wouldn't be engaged, just as you aren't engaged to the norm now, and seek out unique and interesting— novel things.

For you to say that, you probably didn't share the same experience I did.

Surely there's some aspect that is norm versus unique, but that's not what kept me watching it to the very end. If that's all it was, I would have stopped watching halfway through (as the uniqueness wore off).

No-- instead, the presentation style held my attention the entire time. And this is for a talk that I had already heard previously. It was stronger than one of those unfortunately placed TVs at a restaurant playing something colorful, this drew my attention and held it even though I would have typically moved on much sooner.

Perhaps no one else had the same reaction to it as I did, but I don't think I'd easily tire of lectures being presented with this kind of quality. Just my $.02.

Re: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

#23
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because if every lecture was that way, then that style would be the norm , and therefore almost by definition you probably wouldn't be engaged, just as you aren't engaged to the norm now, and seek out unique and interesting— novel things.

For you to say that, you probably didn't share the same experience I did. Surely there's some aspect that is norm versus unique, but that's not what kept me watching it to the very end. If that's all it was, I would have stopped watching halfway through (as the uniqueness wore off). No-- instead, the presentation style held my attention the entire time. And this is for a talk that I had already heard previously. It w…

When I was a teacher I learned about different learning styles: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc. It turns out most people are visual. Seeing the presentation is easier for most people to absorb than simply hearing it.

Re: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

#24

Money is overrated. Time is undervalued. However, not everyone wants to make a contribution. And high incentives can improve the perfomance of people who wants a collateral reward of money like social status.

"And high incentives can improve the perfomance of people who wants a collateral reward of money like social status."

Do you have any science to back that up?

Re: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

#25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because if every lecture was that way, then that style would be the norm , and therefore almost by definition you probably wouldn't be engaged, just as you aren't engaged to the norm now, and seek out unique and interesting— novel things.

Sal Khan gave an interesting hypothesis about why his lectures were more engaging (he uses a blackboard) than a traditional one with a person in the front. I recommend watching the video, but his point is that we tend to focus on the person, the movement of the hands. When you remove the person, you're sort of left with a voice inside your head explaining stuff. http://vimeo.com/11731351

Every reason he described there is pertinent to this video. Thanks so much for posting this, I don't know why I skipped it when it made its rounds the other day.

Re: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

#27
I'm pretty sure I disagree with the moral. Does anyone really contribute to Wikipedia for the sense of mastery it gives them? Do you think the NSA releases their Linux kernel patches to increase the agency's autonomy? Do you think that most open source and free culture advocates are altruists motivated by a drive to give their stuff away to other people? No, they do it because it improves the world they live in - for them. Enlightened self-interest is still self-interest.

Also, the dissing on economists just rubs me the wrong way.

Re: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because if every lecture was that way, then that style would be the norm , and therefore almost by definition you probably wouldn't be engaged, just as you aren't engaged to the norm now, and seek out unique and interesting— novel things.

Sal Khan gave an interesting hypothesis about why his lectures were more engaging (he uses a blackboard) than a traditional one with a person in the front. I recommend watching the video, but his point is that we tend to focus on the person, the movement of the hands. When you remove the person, you're sort of left with a voice inside your head explaining stuff. http://vimeo.com/11731351

Thank you for posting this! I went on his youtube channel to see what it's all about and I ended up watching the first 7 lessons in Biology... and I had 3 or 4 "gotchas" that I never got in school... man this is fun. I'm sure to continue watching this stuff. I want to watch it all!
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