I often watch people I know and those I don't, out of interest, nosiness and self validation. At the gym, I look around and wonder, what drives these people? Does the heavy woman walking slowly on the treadmill think she is actually burning any calories? Or is this her first attempt at exercising and therefore should I be commending her for even being here? Is the hot ripped guy self absorbed or did he used to be fat and had to overcome teasing and self doubt for those abs? Does the skinny pretty girl working it on the elliptical subsist on crystal light and water and come everyday no matter how bad the hangover? Or is she just naturally skinny, beautiful and cares only enough to make a once or twice a week gym visit. I often choose the latter option to feel better about my far from daily exercise routine.
Work is another place that baffles my understanding of what motivates people. Why do some people work so much harder than others? Why does everyone look so busy when I pass by their computers? How does one become a "workaholic"? My understanding of the suffix -aholic or -addicted is of an enjoyable activity like drinking or drugs or brownies or sex or entertainment or travel, or more drugs or sex or drinks.
Love I get. Parental, marital, sisterly, brotherly, owner to pet, girl to doll, I get what motivates parents to sit through freezing cold sporting events when their child will never play and get up at all hours of the night to drive drunk teenagers home. Obviously accomplishment, vanity, health, praise, productivity, fear of failure, embarrasment, poverty, disappointment are all possible motivators...but still. A love of spreadsheets? People who get to work unnecessarily early when they know no one will see them come in? Explain these logic-defying acts!
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