Final Project-

Melanie Siokalo Tues. 6-8:30
When the Motivation No Longer Exists
Imagine the pattering of feet on the gravel road, heart and pulse rates sky rocketing out into the heavens, and the words “I think I can” being spoken all around you. You are so deep into the flow that none of these things concern you. But, what happens when the words “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” become “I know I can, I know I can, I know I can?” The drive and motivation that once possessed the athlete now turns into pride and egocentricity. If the expression, “you know you can,” wins this marathon, then what is the point of running it in the first place? The accomplishment of winning a marathon turns into more of a chore. The enjoyment and the flow are lost and, instead, dread has been gained. So, is there a limit? Yes, there is a maximum to what the human race can achieve in terms of making things “better.” “Better” becomes “the best” and that is all it really can be. The competition of life will be lost. The “best” will outshine all the rest. And once this maximum has been reached, all individuality is lost. What makes the human race, the human race, is gone.
But what exactly is the “flow”. According to Mark Strand, the flow can be described as “You're right in the work, you lose your sense of time, you're completely enraptured, you're completely caught up in what you are doing... When you are working on something and you are working well, you have the feeling that there's no other way of saying what you're saying” (Finding Flow). Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the founding father of the idea of the flow, describes flow as having three parts. These parts include the merging of action and awareness, a sense of control, and an altered sense of time (Csikszentmihalyi). But there are certain criteria that must be true, for the flow to arise. These criteria may include the individual must have goals that are predetermined or “a balance between perceived challenges and perceived skills” (Csikszentmihalyi). The purpose of the research of Csikszentmihalyi is to “suggests that the phenomenological experience of flow is a powerful motivating force. When individuals are fully involved in an activity, they tend to find the activity enjoyable and intrinsically rewarding” (Csikszentmihalyi). The purpose of the flow and motivation is essentially to make the human race happier. So, by eliminating the flow, the human race looses all happiness as well. But isn’t the purpose of human race is to reach perfection? What is perfection without happiness? Happiness cannot be replaced or even take the form of something else. The happiness that we know now, is the only happiness out there. I’m talking about the feeling Micheal Phelps got when he won that eighth and last medal in the Olympics, or the complete satisfaction after a high school student comes in contact with their diploma. No drug or no other sensation can replace those feelings. To me, when those feelings are met, that’s perfection.
Throughout my life I have been the kind of girl that really does have a need for speed. The wind at your back, chills on your spine, kind of speed. Around the age of 8, I started ski racing at a mountain in New York. Ever since then, skiing has not been the same. Once the announcer says those enchanted five words, I hit a world of my own. “Racer’s ready, three, two, one!” are like the magic words to any racer. The flow is something that I can barely describe. It is as if time has stopped, and the only thing stopping you from winning that gold medal, is a few turns. I find that I talk myself through the entire race. The very words of the “Little Engine That Could” really do go through my head. I cannot imagine losing a feeling like that. When I am racing there is nowhere in the world I’d rather be. The drive and motivation I enter at every turn is a thrill that I wouldn’t replace for anything in the world. If my personal flow was eliminated, I absolutely would lose a lot of my happiness. Racing wouldn’t be the same anymore. Why even bother racing, if no matter what, you are going to get the fastest time. And not just that, the whole competition would be lost. The elite racers would develop, without giving a chance to any other racers. The elite would dominate the whole industry. The elite would be so identical that even they would not be able to compete against one another. To me, losing the flow is something I am not willing to risk. But my experiences and my views take the shape and form and many other ways including books and comic novels.
In the books, “Enough” and “Jimmy Corrigan”, the future of our race is compared in many ways. To the author of Enough, Bill McKibben, the human race will soon merge into one identical race. There will not be a difference among individuals nor their abilities. In the comic novel, Jimmy Corrigan, the author predicts the future in a more humorous way. The future of our race is, simply put, a very gloomy one. These two books help portray the idea of the loss of individualism among our race if we continue at this pace. One portrays the future in a more humorous way, and the other in a serious one.

In Bill McKibben’s book, “Enough”, an example of a rock climber is used to explain the “flow” an athlete enters when they are concentrated on one particular thing. He states, “If he were genetically altered to have stronger fingers and forearms, he would be able to climb harder routes- but he wouldn’t go ‘deeper’ into the flow state” (McKibben 52). The piece of mind that a rock climber is in disappears. The rock climber no longer feels a challenge, just something to keep his body moving. The flow and self discovery are no longer things the rock climber looks forward to at the start of the task. The rock climber reaches for the next groove in the rock without hesitation and sense of a challenge. McKibben also states, “So an upgrade won’t multiply your joy. Instead, it might as well sap joy, because forgetting the self seems to be a key part of falling into the flow” (McKibben 52-53). The "knowing" of what you are capable of (which in the future, if this continues, will be everything) throws away the flow. The process of the "flow" is almost like an out-of-body experience. But it is not so out-of-body when the task is no longer a challenge but an ego boost. "I think I can" turns into, "Ha, yes, so, I knew I could climb that rock without even flinching." The human race will have nothing to look forward to, nothing to strive for. There will no longer be a separation between world class athlete and honor roll student. Actually, everyone in the race will be that combination and more.
But there is a time when an end has to be met. If everyone is the best then what happens? The answer- the sense of individuality- is lost. We no longer have an identity but a mere number to distinguish one from the other. The human race blends into one, identical species. Once the human race becomes all it can be, there will be nothing left to achieve. In the comic novel, Jimmy Corrigan, a young boy is portrayed with a dream to be like Superman. Now let’s look ahead to the next one hundred years when every human being is just as strong, just as smart, and just as handsome as Superman. Who is the superhero then? Do we have one? The answer is “No.” The human race will have no one to look up to as their savior or their hero. The desire to become just like Superman does not exist if you already are just like him, or even better than him.
On the other side of the spectrum, is Lee M. Silver, the author of the book “Challenging Nature”. Silver is so for genetic engineering that the flow is something that wouldn’t even matter. Although Silver does not actually touch on the subject of the flow in his book, he does believe that anything, no matter that harm that is done on the way, will be beneficial to the human race. This is where I lean away from the ideas of McKibben and agree more with Silver. If a clone was actually produced a flow would not be eliminated. This type of genetic engineering is one that is not harmful to the happiness and perfection of the human race. I believe that the progress of the cloning will not eliminate the possibility of the flow and loss of individuality. Yes, the clone will be genetically identical to its “twin”; however, I believe that the power of nurture will override the power of nature. This cloning process can be compared to real life miracles that happen every day. Identical twins are the closest to clones as we can get. According to the “Better Health Channel” website, identical twins occur because “the fertilized egg divides in two while it is still a tiny collection of cells. The self-contained halves then develop into two babies, with exactly the same genetic information. Twins conceived from one egg and one sperm are called identical or 'monozygotic' (one cell) twins” (Twins). Yes, the twins will be identical on the inside and on the out, but their personalities will be anything but the same. Depending on how they are raised, the twins will turn out more different than anyone expected. Take for example my two very best, identical twins, friends. To me I have not one problem differentiating between Jennifer and Madison, but a stranger would really be put to the test. Jennifer loves Chinese food, while Madison, not so much. Madison can paint the most beautiful painting, while Jennifer cannot draw a stick figure if it would save her life. Jennifer will be a world class soccer player one day, Madison, a ballerina going to Julliard. The differences between them could not be anymore monumental, yet they are genetically identical. Weather Jennifer is playing goalie in a championship game, or Madison in a life changing audition, both girls are in a zone all of their own. So wouldn’t this be the same for a clone? Genetically identical, however each clone would have a personality completely different from the other. Both girls were raised under the same roof, yet Madison stuck to her mother and Jennifer, to her father. The up-bringing of every twin, truly did mold them to be who they are now today. No individuality would be lost, because every girl will be different. Each flow will be different. Everything about the two will be different. The future of the flow would not be compromised with the advancement of cloning; however the future of the flow might be with the advancement of other genetic engineering.
If Silver had written about the flow, I believe he would have said something exactly the opposite of McKibben. That the flow that we know of right now may be eliminated, but a new flow will be created, one that will be far better than the old one. That maybe changing our chemical makeup may be able to stimulate our minds and our bodies not to eliminate the flow, but to enhance it. This new flow will be so enhanced that the old one will no longer be in comparison. To Silver, there is no maximum for human achievement in human genetics. The best will keep on getting better. To help enhance this flow, steroids were made. Steroids can achieve the ultimate “in the zone” feeling and can lead to complete self accomplishment. But steroids can also lead to an increase in ego and therefore loss of any sort of “underdog” feeling. This “underdog” feeling often leads to motivation in any sort of task or event. Without it, motivation, nor individuality, exists. In a recorded clinical study, a group of men were given testosterone to observe the change in muscle mass and strength. The article, “The Effects of Supraphysiologic Doses of Testosterone on Muscle Size and Strength in Normal Men” states “The men in the testosterone groups had significant increases in the cross-sectional areas of the triceps and the quadriceps” (NEJM). Already, just from appearance, the ego of these men has gone through the roof. The results of this study are incredibly dramatic.
The combination of strength training and testosterone produced greater increases in muscle size and strength than were achieved with either intervention alone. The combined regimen of testosterone and exercise led to an increase of 6.1 kg in fat-free mass over the course of 10 weeks; this increase entirely accounted for the changes in body weight. (NEJM)

Based on the results, it is safe to say that with the legalization of steroids, all individuality will be lost. The sense of not always being on top will be eliminated. Yes, the men that showed the greatest amount of strength gain also exercised, however the individuality would still be lost, if everyone that took the steroids also exercised. No possible flow can be achieved because one of the criteria is not met. This specific criterion states “a balance between perceived challenges and perceived skills” (Csikszentmihalyi). If the perceived challenge is eliminated, it is not possible to achieve the flow, no matter how enhanced it might be. The perceived challenge would be eliminated the same way as the “Little Engine That Could” feeling. If the individual already believes he is the best and will achieve everything, the perceived challenge is essentially eliminated. Every man will look and have the same abilities as the other. The men who didn’t take the steroids will have no chance against the ones who did. The results of this experiment prove that every man that is on this steroid will look just like the other. The muscle masses and the strength will all be the same. Originating to the concept of the human race being ideally perfect, but perfect in a way where there is no distinction among the individuals. If steroids become legal and ever player abuses it, the sport, or any, will forever be changed. It can be compared to as if one baseball team was completely on steroids, exercising hard, and still competing against the rest of the league. What would be the fun in winning ever game by a land slide? This elite team would dominate every game. Now imagine if the entire league was just the same. The elite now could not be able to compete against themselves. Ever game would be tied with the same amount of hits, strikes and homeruns. This again brings us back to the idea of loss of individuality. The human race will all become one big, record-breaking, mess.
Sometime in the future, a line has to be drawn. A vote needs to be cast on the reality of the situation. Someone needs to stand up and say, "Is this really what we all want? Let's look at the consequences if we continue with the way we are." Well, if that never happens, I urge that we climb all the rocks we can now. Enjoy the very last of the challenge that is put forth. Enjoy the flow of "not knowing" and of self discovery. And enjoy all the superhero's you idol. Because soon, they will all be gone.


Works Cited
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, Sami ABUHAMDEH, and JEANNE NAKAMURA. "Flow." 28 Mar. 2009 .
"Finding flow: the psychology of ... -." Google Book Search. 26 Mar. 2009 .
McKibben, Bill. Enough Staying Human in an Engineered Age. New York: Holt Paperbacks, 2004.
"NEJM -- The Effects of Supraphysiologic Doses of Testosterone on Muscle Size and Strength in Normal Men." The New England Journal of Medicine: Research & Review Articles on Diseases & Clinical Practice. 01 Apr. 2009 .
"Twins - identical and fraternal - Better Health Channel." Better Health Channel - quality consumer health information for Australians. 16 Apr. 2009 .