"The first school of thought is an example of "intrinsic motivation". Here, the enjoyment of work for work's sake is motivating enough, rather than relying on external rewards like money or praise. And while it's great to love your job, recent research suggests that it can become problematic when intrinsic motivation is regarded as morally superior to other motivations. "When a neutral preference becomes charged with moral meaning,"
"Most jobs (yes, even the ones we love) include long stretches of tedious work or less enjoyable tasks. When intrinsic motivation becomes a moral imperative, workers may feel guilty for not springing out of bed eager to get to the office each day. It can also lead to burnout or result in staying too long in an unsuitable role while overlooking other important life needs, like making sure the bills get paid."
Intrinsic motivation involves enjoying work for its own sake rather than for external rewards like money or praise. Treating intrinsic motivation as morally superior — moralization — turns a neutral preference into a virtue and devalues common motives such as pay or recognition. Studies find that moralizing intrinsic motivation leads people to look down on extrinsic motives and increases the risk of guilt when work is tedious. Most jobs include unglamorous tasks, and moralization can cause people to feel shame for not constantly loving their work, contribute to burnout, and lead workers to remain in unsuitable roles while neglecting practical needs like paying bills.
Read at Fast Company
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