juz a thought cuz i'm reading stupid contemporary management... goal-setting theory motivates employees i suppose because it challenges and provides a sense of direction in the job, kinda like a compass.

and i wonder why? how it's true. that people flounder if they're lost; how life's meaningless when there's no direction and all's just aimless wanderings. Is man born to continually seek challenges and find directions? Is man born to be perpetually going somewhere or heading to a destination? Why is Man lost and unmotivated once there's nothin' to look forward to? no goals no dreams no ambition?

How it's true even in my daily life. i've noticed how i can study, however little, on the train, on the bus, during breaks, anytime in fact, if i know i'm going somewhere, dropping at a station later, or know that i've got another class to go to. but i can't just pick up my books go to the train and study; or go our sit at coffeebean just like that and study. something must precede that, and something must be expected to follow after that. it's the same for any other thing. i can watch/observe people during the in-betweens of the day but i can't and it's never occurred to me to just go out and people-watch. Why? And why is it that man must always be doin' something and going somewhere? Why is it that when we lounge ard at home go out with friends for no specific reason except to do nothin', it's considered a waste of time?

is it because we are creatures of purpose? or maybe it's a product, or a by-product of urbanization and civilization? did people in the stone-age have similar conceptions of what i've just outlined? how about the ancient, uncivilized tribes that still live amongst us even in today's contemporary world?

the more poignant question is, why is man so afraid to flounder in the dark? why is man so affected by the absence of direction in one's life? why can't man just be lost? why can he not be, or can he not stand to be, suspended in the moment between one activity or destination or purpose, and the next forever? or even for a long period of time? why does it disconcert him so much that he would profess to be 'uncomfortable' and 'perturbed'?

were we born to be this way?

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