Questioning Objectives

Abstract

Have you ever noticed that almost every task in life is framed by an objective? Whether you’re completing a job, studying for a test, or even looking for love, you almost always have an objective. Our culture is increasingly obsessed with them. If somehow you don’t have an objective, you’re less likely to be taken seriously, and someone is sure to question why not. This chapter introduces the surprising and counterintuitive claim that in many cases objectives actually restrain us from greater success. The insight is that the road to great discoveries is often paved with stepping stones that appear unrelated to the discoveries they actually enable. So by obsessing over objectives, we may ignore the steps that would carry us to success. The chapter questions our culture’s certainty on the central role of objectives in achievement and builds a vision of how different life could be without them.

Now, in his heart, Ahab had some glimpse of this, namely: all my means are sane, my motive and my object mad. Herman Melville, Moby Dick