Within the realm of self interest, there hasn’t been an idea more oppressive to architects, yet more beneficial to the field, than the SuperEgo. Yet it is hard, if not impossible, to separate the most famous of architects from the pursuit of perfection; to attempt to satisfy the ego not from the confirmation of colleagues, or clients, or the community, but rather the self. How do many of us find ourselves in the conundrum? We cried out the unfairness during our university years at the known difficulty of the profession relative to future financial earning compared to our fellow classmates in different educational departments. Yet our egos used the challenge as a tool to further drive us deeper into a rabbit hole few were brave / cowardly enough to escape.
It drives us to work hundred of hours more per year than we should, at no additional pay. It drives us to work dusk till dawn, and sometimes dawn to dawn in the pursuit of satisfying a craving we are incapable of satisfying. It drives us to constantly think of our work regardless of the situation we find ourselves in.
We know from practice, a project is never complete but rather the pen was physically removed from our caffeine enriched grasp. Therefore I ask, what do we gain out of such a strange split in our personality? Is there a benefit in striving to achieve an impossible to achieve feat? I doubt it, but even knowing so, there may be little if any point to the effort, is the point itself.
saul s. archila 