The Junction Boys

I think it was about two years ago that I read the book The Junction Boys by Jim Dent. It is a compelling story of Paul "Bear" Bryant who suffers his team through a grueling training camp in Junction, Texas. For those who could, many ran back to the life they had and escaped the brutality of the now infamous training camp. But for others, there was no place to run back to. Bryant willed he would get the most out of this team he had inherited. And those who had no alternative, would be required to endure it.

When I had finished the book, I remember contemplating the motivation these players must have had to endure the onslaught of physical and mental cruelties suffered. Most of them clearly had nothing to go back to. Texas was going through a fourth year of major drought that resulted in families losing farms and ranches. Parents broke the plates of the boys leaving their homes to symbolize there was no dinner table to come back to, as many could no longer feed them anyway. It seems obvious to me that motivation is easiest achieved through self-interest. However, American society seems to have become centralized completely around positive rewards for self-interest as the only means of motivation. Isn't it equally true that one can be highly motivated for fear of the result of not enduring? That the outcomes of not achieving may be more painful then the present effort persistence requires?

I do not believe all motivation should be to avoid punishment or pain. In fact, my business is quite the contrary. Nor do I believe all motivation should be derived from the pursuit of pleasure. The Junction Boys story is a reminder that achievement can be the result of no other option but to win, to endure, to prevail because there is no other choice.

I would argue that motivation only for the pursuit of pleasure can be compromised. When things get too difficult, we may justify the reward is not worth the present level of pain. Whereas the motivation derived from avoiding a more difficult alternative cannot be avoided. It cannot be compromised. Therefore, it is at least possible that motivation, because there are no other alternatives to fall back upon, is perhaps the most compelling motivation of all.

Let's say to become independently wealthy - for life, you must endure an incredibly difficult task that would be just barely tolerable. One that you doubt your ability to achieve and would require great personal sacrifice. Now compare that with having to endure that same task or to be sold into slavery - for life. Doesn't being independently wealthy seem like an optional goal whereas slavery does not? Sometimes it might be worth the exercise for you to consider what the penalty might be for not achieving, rather than just only considering what you might have to gain by it.

Oh yeah, and the Junction Boys? Two years later, Bryant led the team to the Southwest Conference championship with a 34–21 victory over the University of Texas at Austin.