The False Promise of Future Gains

The Cynical Truth about What Really Drives Human Behavior

When I was an intern at a major car manufacturer in southeastern Germany, I asked another intern colleague why he had decided to apply. The colleague held hopes the internship would land him a full-time job because it came with a new company car once every two years. He had reasoned that, if he would not get a company car, he would end up spending most of his future savings to afford them anyway. He worked relentlessly to prove himself and even extended his unpaid internship by six months. He got the job. But to his shock, it came with a contractual provision that excluded the sought-after company car. He would ultimately spend several extra car-less years before finally earning that promotion.