Rediscovering motivation and meaning in work through philosophy and reading
Reflecting on work as a contribution to the common good helps transform fatigue into satisfaction and keep motivation alive even in difficult times
by Luca Barni*
I enjoy the work. I do not say this lightly, but with the knowledge that no matter how complicated the days may be, the pleasure of doing what I do remains a constant. I have no lack of motivation and it allows me to face daily challenges, to get up in the morning with an energy that already seems to anticipate the day. But I am human, which means that sometimes I feel drained and the inner drive is feeble. Then it happens that the tiredness is not only physical, but also mental. In those moments, my supplement is not coffee but, for years, reading.
Reading has a therapeutic effect: it recharges me, brings me back in touch with myself, recreating the link with the deeper meaning of work and commitment. Reading is not an escape from reality, but a way to see it with sharper eyes, to find the right perspective. In the many books I have come across, a thought by Salvatore Natoli, a philosopher, on motivation and the meaning of work particularly struck me.
Natoli writes: 'There is no doubt that a job afflicts if it does not motivate, but it can never motivate if one always and only takes oneself as a measure. On the contrary, it can motivate if everyone in doing their work takes others as their measure. Then one realises that in doing what one does - any work that is honest - one is always offering a service to someone and this gives meaning to our effort. If we do our work well someone will thank us even if we do not know who it is: by working we distribute a good from which others benefit. And we are also others'. This call to 'measure oneself with others' is not new in the philosophical tradition: Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, observed that man realises his happiness (eudaimonia) not in isolation, but in living and acting in the community. Hence, work, if understood as an honest activity directed towards the common good, becomes an instrument not only of personal fulfilment, but of service to others.
It is a simple thought, yet an intense one because it highlights a truth that we sometimes forget: motivation does not only stem from immediate gratification, visible results or external recognition, but also from the relationship that our work builds with those around us. Every action, every decision made in the company has an echo that goes beyond our own little world. When we begin to see work as a service, as a way of contributing to something greater, then even the labours become less significant. Fatigue is transformed into care, into attention, into responsibility towards others.
This perspective is crucial, especially in complex business contexts. Hyperactivity focuses us on numbers, on goals to be achieved. We focus on what is immediate and tangible, losing sight of the broader context in which we operate. Yet, every organisation, every project is not just a set of activities and procedures: it is a living system, made up of people, of relationships, of effects that propagate beyond our immediate gaze. Looking up and recognising this system gives depth to what we do. It allows you to go home tired, yes, but pleasantly tired, aware that you have contributed to something that also has value for others.
