@Vern Edwards, how does one make the attainment of professional education attractive to people? How do you motivate a person to grow, intellectually? We all naturally negotiate with ourselves internally when deciding to undertake a real challenge, and the BATNA in those negotiations is usually the winner: "I don't need this hardship to get paid well enough and to take care of my family." So, what must we do to see your side in those negotiations, instead? I don't think the appeal of being an elite bookworm (forgive me, I am speaking in the general public's terms) is going to be effective at scale, nor will a technique of belittlement. Patriotism? Working for a higher cause? Maybe it varies by your target audience's age and generation. For argument's sake, let's say it is not money, because I am assuming GS-13s and up are not really enduring financial hardship, and most people have dual-income homes anyway.

37 minutes ago, WifWaf said:

how does one make the attainment of professional education attractive to people? How do you motivate a person to grow, intellectually?

I presume that at least some if not most people are ambitious in order to advance their careers. They want to do that for any of a number of reasons, including:

• To get promoted and receive higher pay.

• To attain prestige and influence.

So one way to motivate them is to be clear about what they must do in order to advance their careers.

Time in grade should not be a key to promotion. Most of us know that at some level.

Make it clear to people that the keys to career advancement are:

• Deep professional knowledge

• Production of useful ideas

• Persuasive communication

• Production of high quality work

People should be told that the road to those achievements is through professional education, both formal and self-pursued. Especially self-pursued.

1 hour ago, Vern Edwards said:

prestige and influence

1 hour ago, Vern Edwards said:

career advancement

Got it, thanks. I have seen evidence of deep professional knowledge and production of useful ideas elicit the envy and praise of my peers. Not so much prestige or careerism anymore.

I would add that pride in one’s work and a desire to excel, add value and improve the overall performance of one’s organization can be personal motivators.

36 minutes ago, WifWaf said:

Got it, thanks. I have seen evidence of deep professional knowledge and production of useful ideas elicit the envy and praise of my peers. Not so much prestige or careerism anymore.

Aren't envy and praise signs of prestige?

31 minutes ago, joel hoffman said:

I would add that pride in one’s work and a desire to excel, add value and improve the overall performance of one’s organization can be personal motivators.

I agree.

Pride and envy are in a different value system than praise and utility.

Envy was elicited from those valuing prestige. Likewise, praise from those valuing utility.

Deleted

21 hours ago, WifWaf said:

Pride and envy are in a different value system than praise and utility.

Envy was elicited from those valuing prestige. Likewise, praise from those valuing utility.

The type/sense of pride that I’m referring to is “authentic pride”, which can be described as as:

• “Rooted in Achievement:

  Authentic pride is a direct result of achieving goals, mastering skills, or successfully completing tasks through one's own efforts. 

• Positive Impact:

  It promotes feelings of self-worth, confidence, and motivation, encouraging further effort and achievement. 

• Characteristics:

  Individuals experiencing authentic pride are often described as friendly, responsible, and forward-looking. 

• Connection to Self-Esteem:

  Authentic pride is associated with high self-esteem and a healthy sense of one's abilities. 

• Example:

  Feeling proud of successfully learning a new language or completing a challenging project.” 

As opposed to “hubristic pride”, which can be described as:

• “Rooted in Arrogance:

  Hubristic pride is characterized by arrogance, a sense of superiority, and a tendency to belittle others. 

• Negative Impact:

  It can lead to hostility, defensiveness, and a lack of motivation for self-improvement. 

• Characteristics:

  Individuals experiencing hubristic pride may be described as pompous, conceited, and arrogant. 

• Connection to Narcissism:

  Hubristic pride is often linked to narcissism and a need for external validation.”

• Also -“Extreme love and focus on oneself”

• And “An inflated sense of self importance and a tendency to look down upon others”

• Example:

  “Feeling superior to others based on perceived achievements without putting in the necessary effort.”

See, for instance: a Google search for “Authentic pride meaning” and compare against “sinful Biblical Pride”, “Hubristic Pride”.

On 8/30/2025 at 1:31 PM, joel hoffman said:

The type/sense of pride that I’m referring to is “authentic pride”, which can be described as as:

• “Rooted in Achievement:

  Authentic pride is a direct result of achieving goals, mastering skills, or successfully completing tasks through one's own efforts. 

• Positive Impact:

  It promotes feelings of self-worth, confidence, and motivation, encouraging further effort and achievement. 

• Characteristics:

  Individuals experiencing authentic pride are often described as friendly, responsible, and forward-looking. 

• Connection to Self-Esteem:

  Authentic pride is associated with high self-esteem and a healthy sense of one's abilities. 

• Example:

  Feeling proud of successfully learning a new language or completing a challenging project.” 

Good things to look for in a candidate in hiring interviews. The right questions lets someone express all this unknowingly with their answers. And the level is easy to check with references.

Candidates that rank high are the type employees most bosses want.