Beyond the profit motive: why we don't just chase money

People respond better to motives other than pure profit. Autonomy, mastery and making a contribution are better motivators than a bigger pay packet. This seems intuitively right to me (as well as having studies to back it up). Many of the smartest people I know are not going into the highest paying jobs, but are becoming scientists, academics, ministers, teachers and all kinds of other things in order to serve a purpose that is larger than their wallet. It's not rocket science.