Saturday, July 19, 2008

Motivation by Fear


"Why do some people think fear is a good motivator?" asked stray g. It was a response to some blog posts I'd done about an old nemesis who behaved like the Queen of Hearts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
I replied that I thought they got a power trip.
Linda suggested they were motivated by fear. I can see this. Like the lion tamer who won't put down his whip. He fears the lion's jaws.
Machiavelli wrote "it is better to be feared than loved." but he also said, "[A leader] must endeavor to avoid hatred."
The bullies of the world missed "avoid hatred" hint. They forget that when you act like a jerk, or in some cases, a monster, you make enemies. The lion waits for when the tamer accidentally drops his whip.

4 comments:

Linda Davick said...

I love the little Machiavellian character you drew, and the heads on sticks. That little bit of red in the border.

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

Hey thanks, Linda.
(I left a comment earlier but it didn't "take").
I was afraid I was pushing the bounds of "cute" (or good taste) with the heads on a stick, but I figured these silly ones wouldn't give anyone nightmares.

Linda Davick said...

You are pushing the bounds a little bit. They're great.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Linda. Pushing the envelope is what life is about!