Van Gogh and motivation

Maybe the way to increase productivity in the economy is to spend money planting flower gardens in mental hospitals. Such a garden inspired Vincent Van Gogh to paint "Irises." He was a patient in an insane asylm when he painted the masterpiece which recently fetched over $53 million at an auction.

History is littered with hundreds of examples of great inventors and creators who were not recognized during their own lifetimes and lived in poverty yet their contributions were later seen as great additions to society. If we want to boost productivity, we should learn how to help these people.

Wealthy people are sometimes given tax breaks in the name of boosting productivity. This is done because some economists believe people strive harder to achieve greatness if they are allowed to keep more of the profits of their greatness. This argument is a central theme in President Reagan's economic policy, but it fails to help masters such as Van Gogh. Since Van Gogh lived in poverty and did not reap the fruits of his creation, he would not have benefited from a tax break designed to allow people to keep more of the fruits of their wealth.