Perspectives: Keeping the Love For What You Do

The ever fascinating Ben Stein wrote a thoughtful piece published in last week's New York Times Business section. Entitled Lessons in Love, By Way of Economics, Mr. Stein says "economics is the study of the allocation of scarce goods and services. What could be more scarcer or more precious than love? It is rare, hard to come by and often fragile...so here, in the form of a few new rules, is a little amalgam of the two fields: the economics of love." Now before you roll your eyes, consider this: if, as designers, knowledge workers and creative entrepreneurs, you broaden the meaning of the word 'love' as it appears in the article to encapsulate the passion or love for what you do, the lessons or rules remain true. Here's an example: "the returns in love situations are roughly proportional to the amount of time and devotion invested. The amount of love you get from an investment is correlated, if only roughly, to the amount of yourself you invest in the relationship."