The Overjustification Effect

[Initscri]

I was reading the following thread, and I ended up responding as well. See my response quoted below:

I had a great job computer programming full-time. Great pay & benefits, drive was a bit of a pain but I got used to it. The problem was that over time coding all day long *for someone else* started to get on my nerves, and destroy the love I had for programming which I had garnered up by it being a hobby. There's a good explanation on this by Michael Reeves on his Patreon page (and I'm sure on one of his videos I just can't find it):

_{Quoted below, please see source below}

Somehow, after all the, tedious work and painful debugging sessions, I still love to program. A lot of software developers experience something called the Overjustification Effect. Programmers start out just coding for fun, but as soon as they get a job programming, they experience a huge drop in passion for the craft, and I'm no different. To regain my enjoyment for programming, I started taking on stupid, personal projects. It worked amazingly well, I wasn't trying to make anything useful, or appease any managers, I just made things. Eventually, I wanted to share my creations, so (in combination with crushing boredom), I started my YouTube channel.

Source: https://www.patreon.com/michaelreeves

I decided to switch careers, and do something which takes me off the computer (for the most part). I still computer program as a freelancer, but I find it a lot more enjoyable to be able to choose the jobs I wish to entertain/work on. It gives me the freedom to code things I'm genuinely interested in instead of being forced to by the big man above me.

Essentially, I took a massive pay cut to do something I found a tad bit more enjoyable and I now enjoy programming as a hobby once again.

As mentioned within the quote, I myself, became effected by the "Overjustification Effect" and I'm sure many on this forum probably have as well. It's something that honestly tears away at your love for a hobby and can be really detrimental towards your life, career, family, etc.

If you don't know what the Overjustification Effect is, there is a really good video explaining it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJfqaMOBGso
You can also read up on the Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overjustification_effect

Essentially, in simple terms, when you start something off as a hobby, you find it enjoyable and rewarding simply by completing tasks even with no extrinsic financial motivators at all. Once you convert this hobby into a career and get paid to do so (which many self-taught computer programmers do like myself), you find the actual hobby itself less enjoyable all-together. Over time it can destroy your love for the craft.

I, myself, have noticed this effect on friends of mine within the field. Even so, for people who have participated in the field much longer than I have. Eventually, they ended up breaking and stopped computer programming all-together - one actually moving across the world to become a bartender (true story)

The tips below have helped me avoid losing my love for computer programming, and may be applicable to other fields as well:

1. Find another career to pay the bills, while maintaining your "hobby-career" on a freelance basis - or just freelance all together

For many, this may not be possible. For others, some may not want to completely destroy the career/reputation they have garnered over the years. For myself, I found that finding a polar opposite career helped to prevent against the effect. It felt almost like a Ying-Yang situation. One career paid the bills, while the other (computer programming) I was able to manage on a freelance capacity. I was able to chose the jobs I wanted and was interested in, which went more inline with my hobby approach I originally started off with when I first started computer programming.

You can even go to become a freelancer all together. Just be careful not to spread yourself too thin that you have no time to work on your hobby projects. The effect, IMO, can actually become worse as a freelancer due to this.

2. Force yourself to create projects, etc

When I got off work, the last thing I wanted to touch was another line of code. But, although sometimes it was tough, I started forcing myself to put a small amount of effort into my own project when I got home. What started with simply 10 minutes grew to 30 and hours over time. The main premise was that the project couldn't be something that another person had control over. It had to be 100% within my control. I could have partners, but it had to be something I technically had control over/was able to make decisions on. No deadlines. The project could gather financial incentives, but that shouldn't be the main purpose for the project.

3. At work, if possible, take initiative: Vouch for your own projects

For many people in the tech field (and creative field as well), simply going to work and working on the project you are designated to work on becomes tedious and a bore. There's no motivation, and you feel as if you're just clearing a todo-list/checklist every day. This aids in the effect.

The company I worked with had many problems which easily could have been aided by a programmatic solution. I started finding myself creating my own projects within the company (with managerial approval). Projects that I, myself, was interested in yet still were beneficial for the company and their bottom line.

Many programmer hobbyists start by fixing problems. It's sort of in our blood, sort to speak. See if there are any problems to be fixed.

I know this isn't always possible for every career path, so take it with a grain of salt. Also, if possible, try to keep the project within the realms of your control. Many projects I would start eventually garnered interest from company stakeholders, and before I knew it, it was no longer my project anymore. Yet again, I had a todolist and I was no longer "as" motivated to work on the project as I was when I considered it an initiative on my own accord.


These are just some of the tips that helped me. I didn't see a thread on BitcoinTalk discussing this, and as Bitcoin, for many people, is a hobby - I assume this is something that does affect forum members to different extents.

Do you believe in the over-jusitication effect? Has it affected you, and if so, what tips have helped you in the past or present?

_{Also, I definitely recommend Michael Reeves YT channel here. He's the programmer I quoted above. To fix this, he started creating fun side-projects which he posts on his YT channel. Just don't play with tasers}

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[franky1]

the main causes of programmers passion flatlining is because your under the pressure to complete a task within a timeframe, doing a project passed to you rather than chosen by you, and it requiring such specification and specificity that it just feels like you are not being creative any more and just typing on a keyboard as fast as possible

microsoft and google learned this years ago. thats why they tried a more laid back methodology of work. by making the work environment fun and relaxed. and people able to work on projects in their own time in their own way and only requested to show progress. rather than deadlines

many industries have been more productive and have more programmer engagement by just letting programmers do as they like. make games they want to make, make apps that solve a problem that the programmer feels needs solving.
just think about all the apps on google play. 99% of them were made by independant programmers just having fun, making something because it might be interesting and seeing how many people download it.

many companies are moving away from the office desk, suit and tie image. and moving towards the denim wearing sofa seated freelancer model, purely to keep programmers engaged and interested and motivated
..
you can see the different models pro-cons even in the bitcoin community
2009-2014 was majority voluntary freelancers. and bitcoin was evolving organically.. but then the commercial programmers came in that had deadlines and task oriented to make bitcoin suitable for businesses rather than personal. seen bitcoins progress stagnate to a point its now trying to move people away from utilising bitcoins network and instead alternate networks and even networks without a blockchain.
thus the passion for bitcoin has been stifled and lost its reputation

[Initscri]

the main causes of programmers passion flatlining is because your under the pressure to complete a task within a timeframe, doing a project passed to you rather than chosen by you, and it requiring such specification and specificity that it just feels like you are not being creative any more and just typing on a keyboard as fast as possible

microsoft and google learned this years ago. thats why they tried a more laid back methodology of work. by making the work environment fun and relaxed. and people able to work on projects in their own time in their own way and only requested to show progress. rather than deadlines

many industries have been more productive and have more programmer engagement by just letting programmers do as they like. make games they want to make, make apps that solve a problem that the programmer feels needs solving.
just think about all the apps on google play. 99% of them were made by independant programmers just having fun, making something because it might be interesting and seeing how many people download it.

many companies are moving away from the office desk, suit and tie image. and moving towards the denim wearing sofa seated freelancer model, purely to keep programmers engaged and interested and motivated
..
you can see the different models pro-cons even in the bitcoin community
2009-2014 was majority voluntary freelancers. and bitcoin was evolving organically.. but then the commercial programmers came in that had deadlines and task oriented to make bitcoin suitable for businesses rather than personal. seen bitcoins progress stagnate to a point its now trying to move people away from utilising bitcoins network and instead alternate networks and even networks without a blockchain.
thus the passion for bitcoin has been stifled and lost its reputation

it's a good point. I couldn't agree more. The amount of times I would ask for a deadline on something and was told jokingly "yesterday". A lot of times companies try to push boundaries with deadlines, providing expectations that are extremely hard to meet in order to maintain competitiveness.

The problem is, programmers alike end up being the bottom of the line, the last people on the job... so they get the brunt of it.

[Alamgirsony]

We think,
Samira Yasmin said she had an ear infection about a year and a half ago.

She then started talking antibiotics on the advice of a doctor. The doctor gave her a 5-days course. But she stopped taking the medicine after three days because she felt better.
    
As a result, after a month and a half, the ear pain started again. Then she bought and ate the same medicine herself. Although the two have been healthy for a month, the earache comes back again.

Ms Yasmin said she was then given more antibiotics than before when she went to the doctor and was told that the previous medication was no longer working to prevent disease in her body.      

What is the damage to the body??

The sale of antibiotics in pharmacies without a prescription is banned in many countries.
  
But many people take antibiotics without a doctors advice. Again many do not finish certain courses. What is the damage to the body?

Dr Mohammad Zakaria, for head of the Department of Nose, Ear and Throat at Holy Family College and Hospital, said antibiotics should not be used for viral infections such as colds and coughs. However, it can be given if infections goes to the second stage.

He said that the main goal of antibiotics is to kill the germs of the disease.

Mr Zakaria said, "the doctor gives a course of 5 to 7 days to understand the condition of a patient. But If someone does not eat for two days before that time. then whatever happens, then that antibiotic becomes infective in the patient's body. More antibiotics are needed later.

Excessive use of antibiotics in the human body or not completing the course can lead to various problems.  

First, her immunity is lost. Dr Zakaria saying that there are many kinds of germs and viruses in the air. They lost the ability to resist.

As a result, the body becomes weak. The risk of being easily infected with any disease increases.
    
" Usually it’s not okay for doctor's to prescribe antibiotics unless it’s a very serious condition, "he said.      

[BADecker]

Perhaps untrained doctors would have more success?