The concepts of drive and will originate from the story of the mythological characters Odysseus and Sirens, who live on an island near Scylla and Charybdis.
According to this story, the magical songs of the Sirens, who lived on the island, affected the passing sailors and caused their deaths. The bodies of the dead sailors soon filled the meadows on the island. Odysseus, also a sailor, developed a method not to die by hearing this harassing sound. As his ship approached the island, he had himself tied to a mast and asked his men to whip him. The sailors put earplugs in their ears so that they could not hear the cries of this man who was whipped while tied to the mast and to do their job comfortably. Willpower had quickly seized him.
Two sailors, Jason, and Argonauts took with them a famous Thracian singer named Orpheus, who played the lyre while passing through the island where Sirens is located. This singer was said to be able to impress trees, wild animals, and even stones with his voice. As Orpheus passed near the island, he began to sing. His voice was indeed so impressive that Jason and his crew never heard the Sirens and they continued on their way safely past the island. Here the word “drive” comes from a Latin word meaning “to sing”.
John Adair – “Effective Motivation”
