In the previous article (this article), I introduced an example of the mental state when we want to express something. However, we often have a conflict between expression and business. Let’s talk about it.
Expression and business—which to prioritize?
Sometimes, we want to solve a conflict between expression and business. Although we want to show our emotions and imagination in our products, many customers may want different things.
We sometimes don’t know how to balance them. That troubles us.
One solution is understanding the essence of expression and business. That might show you which to prioritize based on the situation. Today, I will explain it.
The essence of expression and business
The essences of expression and business tell us which to focus on. They are as follows:
- The purpose of expression is to understand our feelings logically. Processing logically allows us to think and decide rationally. That calms our stressful emotions. In other words, expression is fundamentally for ourselves. Resolving that emotion makes us perceive more rationally and lose the desire to express it.
- The purpose of business is to make people’s lives, including ours, more efficient by exchanging things. Business is fundamentally a rational activity, both for producers and customers. In other words, rational people tend to make profits easily.
Those goals tell us that expression doesn’t go against business. The goal of expression is to judge rationally based on our values. That rationality provides an advantage in business.
In other words, we can prioritize expression when we have something to express. That cultivates logical sense that stabilizes our minds and contributes to others.
Perhaps it is natural for people with a desire to express themselves. We paint, write, sing songs, and create, even if we know we cannot make money. The motivation of expression is powerful so that we often cannot avoid it. It is fundamentally for ourselves. Even if nobody recognizes us, we will do it. That is why the desire for expression often drives us.
How to deal with losing motivation
However, expression is fundamentally transient. Once we resolve the emotion, it will not motivate us. It is natural for us to lose interest in past expressions.
As we become more rational, we naturally lose the desire to express ourselves. Expression is a means to resolve emotions that we cannot verbalize. Only inexperienced and ambiguous emotions stimulate the desire to express. As we cultivate our logical sense, we have less need to express ourselves. Rationality resolves emotions immediately.
In other words, trying to repeat the same expression makes us suffer. Redoing things like a machine is not creative.
Considering it as a rational means to do business allows people to repeat past expressions. If singing a song or painting is profitable enough, it provides us with a certain level of motivation, even if it is far less exciting than expressing ourselves.
Some people can continue expressing themselves as a business, such as professional singers and painters. It would be like being an actor. Actors perform by immersing themselves in the situation according to the script. They act instead of expressing themselves. That allows them to repeat the same expression with emotion.
Logical people’s tendency
However, logical people like us tend to be poor at repeating the same thing without reason. Lying to ourselves stresses us. If there is a more efficient opportunity, it is rational to choose another way. That may be why singers who continue performing for their entire lives are mostly solo artists or duos who are all empathic and less logical. Logical people’s interest often fluctuates.
Although we cannot repeat the same expression, we can change it based on rationality. We don’t have to stick to the old ways.
Logically speaking, it is pointless to compare whether to do the same thing. The criteria for whether something is the same or not vary from person to person.
For example, suppose there is a singer who has sung passionate love songs. Then, she wrote and sang a ballad. Some might be disappointed and say, “She has changed.” Some might be pleased and say, “She is still herself even when she sings a ballad. She showed her another attractive aspect.”
Some people may leave, while others will feel satisfied, regardless of what we perform or produce. Even if the singer began to sew bags, some fanatics will follow and say, “She is still creative; that is why I like her products.” It is pointless to set criteria for whether our activities are consistent.
Conclusion
That is how to balance the contradictory wants between expression and business.
The goal of expression is to judge rationally based on our values. That rationality provides an advantage in business.
We can prioritize expression for rationality, but we can also correct our approach based on rational considerations.
That logic might show you which to prioritize based on the situation.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
