The Myth of Sisyphus and Why People Pick Boring Jobs

I heard a story on NPR recently connecting the “Myth of Sisyphus” with some research by a team of Duke professors showing that people pick boring jobs over stimulating ones intentionally if they focus on pay and perceive that the more appealing job won’t compensate them enough for the effort it demands. Are we doomed to come in and repeat the same mindless tasks every day, much like Sisyphus rolling that boulder back up the hill over and over again? Very interesting, thought-provoking story. The creativity business is one where you can’t get “stuck in a ditch” of boredom or it will show in your work. So, how do we make our jobs interesting and encourage fresh thinking? What are your thoughts?

Here is the link to the NPR story: http://www.npr.org/2013/11/07/243650305/why-do-people-agree-to-work-boring-jobs

And here is the researcher’s blog with a link to the full story in The Chicago Tribune: http://www.peterubel.com/2013/10/29/why-some-workers-settle-for-boring-jobs