Make Your Mark

by Jocelyn K. Glei

Everyone knows the famous Henry Ford quote, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” People weren’t walking (or riding) around, wishing for a car. But maybe the problem was, “My horse is very slow and he tires easily.” OK, why does that matter? “Well, it takes me too long to get places, and I can’t travel very far.” And why does that matter? “I spend more time getting myself places than enjoying my life and accomplishing things.” And why does that matter? “Because I’m going to die pretty soon and I have so much I need to achieve first. I can’t waste my short life on the back of this horse!” And we’re done. The “why test” always ends with fear of death. That’s the only acceptable indication that you’ve reached the end of the “why” chain, because you could argue that “fear of death” is the ultimate motivator for all human behavior.